Pokemon XY: The Story of Chris Oak
by MistValley555
Summary: Chris Oak never got to be a trainer when he was younger, but he is given the opportunity to live his dream by traveling the Kalos Region. Though his adventure starts with a jolly nature, his curiosity turns this magical land into a world of dark, twisted evil. It's up to Chris to defeat this evil before it obtains the ultimate power of Kalos: The Three Beasts.
1. Prologue

The summer heat melted the remaining snow left from the unexpected, and prolonged winter, which had taken the Kanto Region by surprise. Chris sat criss-crossed underneath an oak tree, binoculars glued to his face. He watched, in the distance, two male Nidoran's sparring with one another for the approval of a female Nidoran. Chris chuckled as he watched them. Eventually one had defeated the other, boasting its success over the other. Chris placed the binoculars to his right side, now pulling out a notepad. He was light-skinned man with large, spiky brown hair, and emerald green eyes. He jotted a few notes down before heading south of the oak tree back to his hometown...Pallet Town.

Pallet Town was a rural town, with a population of no more than 250. Chris ventured to the southeast corner of the small town where a laboratory, home hybrid lay. He entered the house, immediately calling out.

"I'm back Pops." No one answered. "Pops?" he called out again curiously. He placed his lab coat on the coat hanger laying perpendicular to the entrance. Chris then ventured upstairs hearing pages being tossed and turned.

"Hey Chris," said Professor Oak with a warm smile. He was holding a book filled with Chris' baby pictures.

"How come you're looking at my baby pictures?"

"Ehh... I just wanted to look back for old times' sake," responded the elderly man.

"Oh...ok."

"Come...join me." Chris sat next to his grandfather, the two viewing his baby pictures. "Ah...I remember this one," began Professor Oak pointing to a picture. The grandfather stood proudly next to a tall, spiky haired man, and a wavy haired brunette woman.

"That's Mom and Dad right?" asked Chris. Oak was silent briefly before responding. His smile disappeared.

"Yeah..." Oak then flipped the page, his smile being revived. "Oh! I remember this day like it was yesterday." When Chris looked at the picture, he couldn't help but smile. "You remember that day?"

"I could never forget it..."


	2. Chapter 1: Seven Years Ago

Professor Oak returned from the Alola region to the Kanto region, a crowd applauded once he'd arrived at the terminal. He was wearing a pink-floral shirt, grouped together with a pair of relatively cheap aviators. Despite the business of Saffron City's airport, Oak was able to recognize one of his assistants, a dark-haired woman with floral patterned glasses, whom was standing next to a black car. Once Oak grabbed his luggage from baggage check, he walked quickly towards her.

"How was the flight, sir?" asked the female assistant.

"Bit rough, but I'm here," he responded with a smile.

"Good to hear sir...Get us to Pallet Town," she said now looking at the driver.

"How's Chris been since I left?" he asked as he was pulling off his shades.

"A bit energetic for my taste, but overall, a well-mannered kid."

"That's good to hear…," said Oak in relief.

Forty five minutes had passed before the two of them left Saffron City, heading north to Cerulean City. The drive lasted around an hour in total before they reached Pallet Town. Oak pulled out a key, unlocking the door. Upon opening the door, Oak called out.

"Chris…" There was no response. Oak seemed confused. Chris always responded when called, but not this time. Oak called out once again, no response. He rushed up the stairs, entering his room, but there wasn't a single sight of Chris. Now, he began panicking.

"He was here asleep when I left to pick you up," said the assistant, fearful of losing her job. Oak left his house, now turning to his neighbors for help. At first, no one knew where the child went, but it was the third neighbor whom saw him.

"I saw him head north towards Route 1," he said. Oak thanked him, heading up Route 1.

Oak scanned the entire route, but he still couldn't find his grandson.

"Where'd he go?" he asked to himself. Oak then ventured even more north, now at Viridian City. He turned to the citizens of the city. "Please you have to help me!"

"Professor Oak?" asked a woman with sharp pink hair.

"Have you seen him?" he asked desperately. "He's got green eyes, spiky brown hair."

"I saw a kid like that..., wearing green?"

"Sure, yes he wears green."

"Yeah, he went north to Viridian Forest."

"Thank you very much miss," said Oak now heading even farther north. His worry now turned to anger as he prepared to scold his grandson for leaving.

As Oak entered the forest, he still saw no sign of his son; however, he did see a trail of broken open pokeballs. He followed the track which lead him directly to his grandson.  
"CHRIS!" called out Oak angrily. Chris was scared initially, but scurried away shortly after. Oak was much faster than the child, and caught up to him shortly. "Young man what are you doing out here." Oak then noticed that Chris cornered a Pokemon, a Weedle, whom was exhausted. Oak then understood what Chris was doing. The child pulled out his last Pokeball. He then tossed it, hitting Weedle directly on the head. The ball fell to the ground swiftly, twitching once to the left.

"C'mon," muttered a young Chris. The ball twitched once to the right, and was now finally at peace. Chris cheered briefly before Oak intervened.

"Chris, what are you doing out here… I told you its dangerous out here."

"I just wanted my own Pokemon," said Chris looking down, knowing he was guilty. Oak sighed.

"You should've been patient, and wait for your tenth birthday. It was tomorrow anyways."

"I couldn't wait," whined a young Chris. Oak looked back at the trail of broken Pokeballs.

"You didn't give up…," said Oak. Chris looked up at his grandfather. Oak had a faint smile on his face. "C'mon..., let's go home."

Chris sat down in the living room of his grandfather's home, the Pokeball holding Weedle was firmly gripped in his hand. Oak walked into the kitchen, shuffling through his suitcase, then pulling out an item.

"Y'know Chris..., if you waited for your birthday like I told you…" Chris was alert. "…I was going to give you your first Pokemon…But since you caught the Weedle..., it technically isn't your first."

"I'm sorry Grandpa…I just really wanted a Pokemon."

"Patience is key, remember son." Oak stretched his arm out, holding the Pokeball, handing it to Chris. "Happy early birthday…, my grandson." Chris tossed the Pokeball in excitement revealing the Pokemon. The Pokemon was a small brown feline Pokemon. The Pokemon looked at Chris, tilting its head in confusion. Chris smiled.

"My Pokemon," he whispered with excitement.

"That's Eevee," began Oak. "And Eevee have the incredible capability of evolving into multiple different kinds of Pokemon." Oak couldn't help but drone on, it was in his nature. Chris ignored his grandfather, and began petting the small brown Pokemon. He continued playing with Eevee, petting and chasing the Pokemon. After a few minutes of playing, Chris stopped.

"I want you to meet my friend," said Chris to Eevee. The feline Pokemon had another curious look on its face. Chris pulled a Pokeball out of his back pocket and sent out the Weedle that he caught from before. The bug Pokemon stared at its surroundings. Weedle looked unhappy. Chris sat next to the bug Pokemon, bringing Eevee close to him. "We're gonna be Champions," said Chris confidently. His Pokemon stared up at him, Weedle still disgruntled. Chris offered both his Pokemon small snacks that Oak gave him. "Everyone will remember who we are… We're gonna defeat the eight gyms and challenge the Elite Four." Weedle nibbled on the food, as well as Eevee. Slowly, Weedle came around to Chris, the promise of glory appeased the bug Pokemon.


	3. Chapter 2: A New Journey

Oak closed the book, turning to look at his grandson.

"What ever happened to that dream?" asked his grandfather.

"I told you before, didn't I?" he responded.

"You told me you gave up...you didn't tell me why," said Oak. Chris sighed.

"It's been seven years Chris...what happened?" he asked. Chris was staring out his bedroom window, gazing at the rural landscape of Pallet Town.

"I...I couldn't help seeing my Pokemon get hurt like that. That gym leader Brock...I could never beat him, despite trying over and over again."

"So you gave up?" asked his grandfather.

"Sure, I gave up because I couldn't help seeing them get hurt like that all the time."

"But you loved Pokemon battles. And I know deep down...you still do." Chris was mute, leading Oak to rise from the chair.

"Come with me," he said to Chris. "I wanna show you something." Professor Oak led Chris into his bedroom. He opened the drawer to a night table, revealing a single plane ticket. He placed it into Chris' hands.

"A plane ticket?" said Chris confused. Oak nodded. "Why?" asked Chris.

"You really want to be crammed in a laboratory all day like me?" Chris looked away from his grandfather once he asked the question. "Exactly," he continued. "Chris...I want you to go to the Kalos Region...alone. Go, fulfill your dream. Challenge the gym leaders...challenge the Elite Four...be the Champion, Chris." The grandson was still silent. Oak closed Chris' hand for him. "The flight is in two days, why don't you sleep on it."

It was now eight o'clock at night. Oak was in his office finishing up any remaining paperwork while Chris was in his room, accompanied by his two Pokemon. He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling fan.

"Should we do it?" he asked his Pokemon still staring at the ceiling fan. Weedle and Eevee stared at each other before looking at Chris. Eevee then hopped onto the bed, tapping Chris' leg with its paw. Chris arched his body forward now staring at the feline Pokemon. Eevee had a bright smile on his face. Though Weedle couldn't smile clearly, the Pokemon was obviously excited about the opportunity.

"You sure? You both could get hurt?" His Pokemon stared at him annoyed. They both loved to battle as much as Chris did. Eevee then hopped into his lap, begging him to go.

"Okay, okay. We'll go," said Chris with a smile. Eevee cheered along with Weedle in the distance.

Two Days Later:

A taxi stopped Chris and Professor Oak at the Saffron Airport.

"You have everything?" asked Oak looking at Chris worried. "Y'know...wallet, I.D, Passport..."

"I have everything Pops," responded Chris chuckling. "Especially these two," he said looking at the two Pokeballs on his belt. "Don't worry." The grandfather closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe. Upon opening his eyes, Oak began to tear up.

"You look so much like your father..."

"I bet he's smiling down on us right now," responded Chris with a heartwarming smile.

"Yeah," said Oak wiping his tears. "Eh...I'll see him soon enough."

"Stop talking like that Pops," responded Chris harshly. "You still got a lot of life in ya." There was brief silence amongst the two before Oak began speaking again.

"Well, you take care of yourself young man, especially the diet."

"Ha! Watch the sweets there Pops," he responded laughing. Shortly after, the two hugged one more time before heading their separate ways.


	4. Chapter 3: Welcome to Kalos!

Chris traveled through the air for twelve hours. He was out like a light a majority of the flight. The plane landed in a small town called Vaniville Town. From the plane, the town looked no different than Pallet Town. Upon landing, Chris immediately checked into his hotel room, on Oak's demand. Once in his room, Chris dropped his backpack onto the carpeted floor, and jumped straight onto the bed in exhaustion where he called Oak shortly after.

"Hey Pops," he began. "Just wanted you to know I touched down in Kalos... How you holding up?"

"Bit quiet here, but I'll manage," he responded. Chris chuckled as Oak continued speaking. "If I understand this correctly, there's a Professor's meeting in Lumiose City...in Kalos."

"That's great to hear! When can I see you then?"

"Uh...in about...huh two days."

"You serious? Great...I'll meet you there."

"By the way," said Oak in a worried tone. "Did I give you enough cash?"

"More than enough," responded Chris checking his wallet.

"Alright, well you take care Chris, I've got some work to do."

"Alright, see ya Gramps." Chris hung up the phone, now turning his attention to his Pokemon. Simultaneously, all three of their stomach's grumbled.

"How about we get lunch," he said smiling at his Pokemon, whom agreed with him.

An hour had passed since Chris arrived in the Kalos Region. It was midday, leaving every eatery swarmed by hungry mouths. Because of this, Chris decided to head north of Vaniville Town to another small town, Aquacorde Town. It was a similar situation as to Vaniville. Defeated, Chris entered the line for a small cafe. Weedle groaned at the sight of the line.

"Patience," said Chris softly to his Pokemon. Shortly after Weedle's groaning, Chris felt his leg being nudged. Upon looking down, he noticed it was Eevee nudging his leg. "What's up?" he asked. Eevee then pointed to a small deli shop, next to the river which ran through the town, the line much smaller than the cafe. "Good eyes," he said petting Eevee.

After twenty minutes, Chris left the shop with a sandwich, carrying two bags of snacks for both Weedle and Eevee. Chris looked around the plaza only to see that every table or seating area was taken.

"Man we hit the lunch hour," he groaned. "You guys wanna sit somewhe-"

"Excuse me," asked a woman's voice behind Chris. He turned around to see a girl no older than he was dressed in scarlet clothing. She had eyes as blue as Aquacorde's river.

"What's up?" asked Chris.

"Sorry, but have you, by any chance, seen a Froakie?"

"Froakie?" asked Chris.

"Y'know...it's a blue frog Pokemon...White bubbles around its neck?"

"Uh...I'm sorry I've never seen a Pokemon like that before. I'm from out of town...But I'd be more than happy to let you know if I found it," said Chris.

"That'd be great, thank you."

"Yeah, so should I just meet you back at the plaza then?"

"Uh, sure," she said sprinting the opposite direction of Chris.

"Alright...sounds good," muttered Chris to himself. He planned to search out the Pokemon, but his attention was shifted when he saw Weedle groaning.

"Alright," he began, looking at his Pokemon. "We'll eat first and then look for the uh...Froakie." Chris then ventured down a flight of stairs forged completely out of brick, now directly next to the river of Aquacorde Town. He took his shoes off, putting his feet into the river to soak while he and his Pokemon ate. Despite being right next to the plaza, it was silent, only the sound of running water could be heard. Chris took this period of time to gaze at his surroundings, admiring the beautiful Kalos landscapes. It was then that he noticed in front of him was a frog Pokemon on a lily pad. The Pokemon was looking in Chris' direction primarily at Eevee and Weedle's food. Chris looked at the Pokemon, curiously, wondering if it were the Pokemon that girl was looking for. It had a light blue coloring, with white bubbles surrounding the back of its neck.

"Froakie?" called out Chris. The Pokemon reacted quickly.

"What a coincidence?" he thought to himself. Chris stretched his hand out towards the Pokemon only for it to shy away. He pulled back, staring at his surroundings. Chris now looked at his two Pokemon, who were eating casually without noticing Froakie.

"Hey," said Chris to his Pokemon. "Mind if I take one of those snacks?" Weedle guarded his bag while Eevee happily offered a snack to Chris. Now with the snack in his hand, Chris stretched it out once more, this time Froakie approached him. Once up next to him, Froakie took the snack from Chris' hand and began eating it. Once he finished eating the snack, Froakie retreated back to its lily pad, occasionally starring at Chris and his Pokemon.

After around twenty minutes, Chris and his Pokemon had finished eating. Chris dried his feet before putting his shoes back on and heading back towards the plaza. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris noticed Froakie getting closer and closer to him. When he turned to look at the frog Pokemon, it retreated back into the water. In response, Weedle and Eevee walked up to Froakie. Weedle tried reaching out to Froakie, but it lead with the poisonous tip of its head, scaring Froakie even more. Eevee then reached out to Froakie with a bright smile on the Pokemon's face. Froakie couldn't refuse, and grabbed Eevee's paw. The frog Pokemon now walked up to Chris.

"You got nothing to be afraid of little guy," said Chris squatting next to Froakie. The Pokemon grew calm as Chris offered the Pokemon another snack. Froakie then followed Chris accompanied by his two other Pokemon, Eevee smiling, as well as Weedle. As they reached the top of the steps, Chris saw the girl that approached him earlier. He called out to her.

"Hey!" called out Chris. The girl now turned around. "Was this the Pokemon you were talking about?" Chris pointed to Froakie whom stared blankly at the girl.

"Oh my God, where was he!" she said relieved.

"Down by the boardwalk over there," said Chris pointing in the opposite direction of the lady.

"Ugh," she said annoyed. "You think that should be the first place I check, either way, thank you so much."

"Hey Serena, you coming back?" asked a man in a black tee and yellow cargo pants. "Who's this?" he asked as well.

"Sorry Tierno, was looking for this runaway," she said with an annoyed look, pointing at Froakie.

"Who's he?" whispered Tierno in Serena's ear.

"He's the one who found Froakie, and saved my ass," whispered back Serena. Tierno now stared somewhat intensely at Chris.

"Hey, we got an open spot at our table. Since you helped out my friend, wanna join us?" offered Tierno. Chris agreed, joining them.

Serena and Tierno brought Chris into the heart of plaza to a table of six which sat two others.

"There you are Serena, where were you?" asked a brunette girl likely the same age as Serena. She was a very energetic person, as if she were caffeinated at all times.

"I had to get back Froakie, or at least he did," she said pointing to Chris. "Oh my God... I'm so sorry, I never got your name." Chris chuckled before responding.

"Chris," he said smiling.

"Yeah, Chris found Froakie, thank God."

"Well thanks so much Chris for helping out Serena, here sit down," said the brown haired girl. "I'm Shauna, Trevor's the orange-haired kid over there."

"I'm her age," noted Trevor shyly.

"Right, and then there's big boy Tierno in the black shirt," continued Shauna.

"That nickname's horrible Shauna," exclaimed an annoyed Tierno.

"Worth a shot," she responded. As Chris took his seat amongst the friend group he grew quite uncomfortable. He sat back quietly listening to the friend group bicker back and forth until Trevor broke in.

"You saved Serena's ass," remarked Trevor. "Sycamore would be none too happy to find she lost his starter Pokemon."

"To be honest, I just found it on a lily pad over the-, wait… did you say Sycamore?"

"Yeah why?" asked Trevor. The group all looked at Chris.

"I've heard that name before...is he a professor?" asked Chris.

"Yeah, Serena's his assistant," said Trevor.

"Oh really?" asked Chris oddly surprised.

"Yeah," said Serena shyly.

"Well can I ask a question then...My grandfather's a Professor, and he said something about a get together with all the Professor's of the regions."

"Yeah, that's happening in two days in Lumiose City," responded Serena. "Who's your grandfather?" she asked curiously.

"Professor Oak," responded Chris instantly, gaining the attention of everyone in that friend group.

"Your grandfather is Professor Oak!?" exclaimed Serena. Chris tried to shush her, but to no success. "Oh my God, I have to meet him." Chris didn't respond, leaving a brief period of silence. Eventually Chris spoke again.

"Yeah...well thank you for the offer, but I have to get back to my hotel room," said Chris bluntly.

"Really?" asked Serena disappointed.

"Yeah, I have a lot of work to do," responded Chris lying. He just wanted to get away from the friend group for the moment. "Thanks for everything." The group of friends simultaneously waved to Chris as he ventured south back to Vaniville Town. As he walked away, he could feel something physically tugging on his leg. As Chris turned around, he noticed Froakie gripping onto his leg.

"Strange," began Serena. "Froakie's always been shy and reserved...He seems to like you Chris."

"I don't think I should be taking the Professor's Pokemon," he responded.

"If there's one thing Professor Sycamore hates, it's when a trainer rejects a Pokemon that clearly wants to be with that trainer," said Serena with confidence. "Also… shy Pokemon don't tend to do well with new trainers…," she added. Chris looked down at the Pokemon, whom stared back at him blankly. Chris smiled, then looking at Weedle.

"I know my grandfather would want me to bring Froakie along with me… Come on Froakie," said Chris petting the Pokemon on his head. He smiled, a sight Chris had not yet seen the Pokemon do.

"Listen, I'd love to meet up with you guys some time tomorrow," said Chris turning his attention to the friend group. "But right now I gotta figure some things out." He gestured Froakie to follow him alongside Eevee and Weedle. Froakie smiled at both Pokemon.


	5. Chapter 4: Weedle's Woes

The day came and went after Chris met the friend group. It was now six o'clock in Kalos. Chris left his hotel room to get dinner, for him and his Pokemon. This left his three Pokemon alone in the hotel room. Froakie scanned the room, hopping from the couch to the bed. Eevee, playfully, tried to join, but the Pokemon fell well short of the bed. The jolly Pokemon still smiled despite the fail, which had also caused Froakie to laugh. Weedle stared at the two Pokemon from a distance. The bug Pokemon was laying on the leaves of a plant in the hotel just next to the window, nibbling slightly on it. Eevee and Froakie got along well, while Weedle kept to itself. Moments later, Chris returned with dinner. Eevee crunched on small berries offered by Chris, Froakie was given similar food to what Chris offered the frog earlier. Finally, Chris gave Weedle pieces of spinach for the bug to chew on. Chris gazed at his Pokemon, a flash of memories came to him. He remembered adventuring with Eevee and Weedle when he was younger back in the Kanto Region. He loved looking back on those memories, but they became haunting once he remembered Brock.

Chris was around eleven when he first challenged Brock, the first gym leader of the Kanto region. Chris remembered walking confidently into his gym, challenging the gym leader immediately. His first Pokemon, Geodude was beaten easily by Eevee, due to its dark type move, bite, but then Brock sent out Onix. The large rock snake successfully defeated Eevee with one simple attack. Chris then sent out Weedle, but the bug Pokemon didn't last long against Onix. Despite the loss, Chris returned again to challenge Brock, but he received the same result. On his third try, Eevee lasted a bit longer than before against Onix, but the result was still the same. Weedle still couldn't even get a move off before fainting to Onix. Chris tried again, lost. He kept trying, and trying, and trying, and trying, and trying. On his last attempt, he could see his Pokemon were physically exhausted to the point where they couldn't even beat Brock's Geodude. He saw that he pushed his Pokemon too hard, and decided that he never wanted to put his Pokemon through something like that again, so he retired from battling. The memories were tarnished. What was once a childhood dream turned to a nightmare to Chris. Two hours later, he was in bed, tossing and turning before eventually falling asleep.

At around seven o'clock the next morning, Chris was up, showered, and ready to hit the road. His Pokemon were a bit slower to wake up. Weedle was up and right next to Chris, while Eevee and Froakie sluggishly woke themselves up. Half an hour later, Chris and his Pokemon were on the road, past Aquacorde Town and onto Route 1. Chris looked at his phone, specifically a map of the Kalos region.

"So we head north," mumbled Chris to himself. "And we should hit Santalune Forest, and then Santalune City. From there… we're about one stop away from Lumiose City." They continued forward as a group north where they quickly found the entrance to Santalune Forest. Upon entering the forest, Chris saw Serena whom immediately turned around to greet him.

"Hi," she said joyfully. Chris waved.

"How are you? How's Kalos been so far?" she asked.

"It's been great. I'm just heading north right now to get to Santalune City."

"That's good to hear. Santalune is a beautiful place, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Yeah, hopefully I'll see you guys there," said Chris. "Maybe catch up at a cafe or something."

"Sure… that sounds great," she responded venturing deeper into the forest.

"Alright… see you later," said Chris walking the opposite direction of the forest. As he ventured deeper into the forest, a red-headed bird Pokemon eyed him from a distance.

The bird Pokemon gazed at Chris, following him throughout the forest. Chris was now towards the end of the forest; the Pokemon decided now to strike. That bird Pokemon, Fletchling swooped down, pouncing directly on Weedle. The bug Pokemon responded by charging its head into Fletchling, the horn on its head surrounded in poison. Chris turned around; Eevee and Froakie charged after Fletchling to protect Weedle. Fletchling backed away initially after Weedle's attack before beginning to peck at Weedle, the attacks doing severe amounts of damage. Eevee charged head first into Fletchling, causing the bird to back away. Froakie fired multiple bubbles at Fletchling, but the bird dodged all of them, still charging after the injured Weedle. In an attempt to stop the bird Pokemon from killing Chris' first Pokemon, Chris pulled out a Pokeball, which Oak had given him, and tossed it at the speeding bird. The ball tapped Fletchling's body. The ball engulfed Fletchling. Shortly afterwards, it fell to the ground, twitching once to the left, once to the right and then finally coming to rest. Chris stared at the ball in silence, Weedle was breathing heavily. H approached the bug Pokemon, but in a fluster of emotions, Weedle ran off, away from Chris. He tried chasing the Pokemon, but it began climbing a tree, out of Chris' view.

Chris called out the Pokemon's name.

"Weedle! WEEDLE!" Two young trainers walked past Chris scoffing at him.

"Why would you want a Weedle back," whispered one of them. "Thing's weak as hell."

"Shut up!" called out Chris as the two trainers scurried off. "Weedle," he again called out, but the Pokemon didn't respond. Chris now picked up the Pokeball that held Fletchling. He looked at it briefly, then staring back at the trees, that hid Weedle. "Weedle," he called out once more desperately. There was silence. Chris waited by the tree for half an hour with no response. He continued calling for the Pokemon to no success.

"Just like that...gone," he thought to himself. He stared up at the trees once more, no sight of the bug Pokemon. Chris eventually picked himself up, venturing out the forest and towards Santalune City.

Santalune City was an old town with architecture around two centuries old, but still just as elegant. Despite the beauty of the town, Chris ignored it. He walked immediately into a Pokemon Center, where he sat on the couch, staring blankly down at the glass coffee table in front of him.

He then sent out all his Pokemon, including Fletchling. The bird Pokemon stared at Chris, tilting its head slightly. Chris groaned, but then his grandfather's words echoed in his head. He couldn't treat a Pokemon coldly, it would kill his grandfather to see. Chris offered the bird Pokemon a small snack, similar to the ones Froakie nibbled at last night. Eevee stared at Fletchling coldly, Froakie similarly, the two watching the bird eating happily. Chris then pet the bird Pokemon.

"Fletchling eat Weedles… It's only natural," said Chris to Eevee and Froakie. Fletchling now looked at the two Pokemon. The bird Pokemon hopped next to Eevee, who lay on the couch next to Chris, the bird giving an innocent smile.

"You can't eat Weedle," demanded Chris looking at Fletchling. The bird Pokemon stared at him. He offered it another snack, which Fletchling ate happily. "He's a part of our team now," said Chris looking at Eevee and Froakie. "Whether we like it or not."

Chris left the Pokemon Center at around noon. He went back to Santalune Forest calling out for Weedle, but again there was no response. He then returned to Santalune City, where Serena had greeted him.

"Hey Chris," she called out. Chris felt miserable, but hid it not wanting to bring her down emotionally.

"Hey..., Serena right?" he asked putting a fake smile on his face.

"Yeah… Oh my God, I can't believe I never introduced myself," she said embarrassed. Chris chuckled.

"Don't sweat it."

"Anyways, I wanted to ask you something... I was uh going to challenge the gym leader here, and I was hoping I could get some training done." Chris' eyes shot open when he heard about gym leaders. Memories of Brock resurfaced, only making Chris more miserable than before.

"Do… do you wanna battle?" she asked breaking Chris' train of thought.

"Oh…yeah sure."

"Great!" she exclaimed. Chris took a step back, and the two of them sent out their Pokemon. Serena sent out her only Pokemon, Fennekin, the fire starter Pokemon, and Chris sent out Eevee.

"Fennekin, Ember!" called out Serena immediately. Fennkin shot off multiple small bursts of fire towards Eevee, but the feline Pokemon dodged the move swiftly, ready to counter at any moment.  
"Eevee, Tackle!" called out Chris. Eevee planted its back feet into the ground, pushing itself directly in the direction of Fennekin, colliding directly with it, sending the Pokemon blasting back multiple feet behind Serena. Just one move and Fennekin had fainted, causing the battle to come to a quick end.

"Wow," she said returning Fennekin to its Pokeball. "I didn't know you were such a strong trainer."

"I'm not that strong," responded Chris.

"C'mon, don't undersell yourself…," she responded playfully. "Anyways… thanks so much for the battle… I guess I have to just train some more. I heard Route 22 is a good place to go." Chris nodded, making the conversation awkward. "You heading to Lumiose City?"

"Probably…, but." Chris looked back to the forest.

"Weedle isn't by your side…" she noticed. "Something happen?" Chris was silent briefly.

"It's nothin really."

"You sure?" she asked. Chris nodded. "Alright…Lumiose City is just north of here by the way."

"Thanks Serena," he said watching her now walk towards Route 22, which lay to the northeast of Santalune City.

Chris walked to the northern part of Santalune City, minutes after Serena had. He scanned multiple buildings before finding the one he was looking for.

"The gym…," whispered Chris to himself. The building was relatively modern despite the ancient buildings that established the city. He looked down at his Pokemon, all three of them looking directly at him for orders. He thought about entering the gym…, but something prevented him from going in. "I can't do it," he said defeated. "It won't be the same without Weedle…"

"You're missing a Weedle?" called out a female voice. She was a brown-haired woman with sapphire blue eyes, around the same age as Chris, wearing a single black dress. She was standing at the edge of the city connecting Santalune and Route 22, a smile on her face.

"Must've spoken too loudly," said Chris apologizing.

"Not a problem… I wanna help you find it… for a price of course," she said.

"I'm not interested… Besides I've done everything I can. The Pokemon's gone…," said Chris depressed.

"C'mon… you just got a bad attitude about things… I'll find your Weedle." She was oddly confident which confused Chris, but also attracted him to her.

"You sure you know where my specific Weedle is? It's in Santalune Forest."

"You pay me and I'll find it," she said. Chris caved in, paying her as the two headed back to Santalune Forest.

Chris took the woman dressed in black to the exact spot where the Fletchling event happened.

"I never got your name by the way," said Chris. He then introduced himself.

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is getting your Pokemon back," she said with a determined look on her face. Chris handed her his money, $100. She then sent out her Pokemon, an Oddish.

"Sweet Scent," she called out. Oddish released an aroma that engulfed the forest. Shortly after, the grass Pokemon raced into the forest out of Chris' sight.

"I can't thank you enough for this," said Chris.

"Don't mention it," she responded smiling. When Oddish returned, a Weedle followed directly behind. She picked up the Weedle. "This your Pokemon?"

"Oh thanks so much!" Chris pulled out Weedle's pokeball to return the Pokemon, but it didn't work. "It must not be my Weedle…"

"Sleep powder," she called immediately. Oddish fired multiple spores which surrounded Chris causing him to become drowsy, and eventually fall asleep.

When Chris woke up, his Pokemon were all fainted surrounding him. It was the evening now. He lifted his upper body, now sitting upwards. Directly in front of him was a yellow cocoon Pokemon, which stared at him blankly. Chris backed away initially, then tilting his head at the sight of the cocoon Pokemon.

"Weedle?" asked Chris. He remembered studying about Weedle and their evolution.

"No.. Kakuna?" The Pokemon responded, moving closer to Chris. Chris' Pokemon began to regain consciousness now. Immediately Eevee jumped in front of Chris, growling at the cocoon Pokemon. Chris ordered Eevee to stand down. He then moved his hand towards the top of the Pokemon and began petting Kakuna. The Pokemon let out a little whimper of appreciation.

"You scared me when you ran away like that," said Chris annoyed. Kakuna now turned to look at Fletchling, who'd regained consciousness. The bird was standing in between Eevee and Froakie. Kakuna charged directly into Fletchling, tackling the bird aggressively. In response, the bird Pokemon charged directly at Kakuna, pecking at its tough outer shell. Kakuna laughed as its outer shell absorbed the attacks.

"Enough!" called out Chris separating the two Pokemon. Both Kakuna and Fletchling turned their attentions back to Chris. "Fletchling's a part of our team now, Kakuna. You two are gonna have to learn to respect each other." Fletchling groaned, and so did Kakuna. Shortly after his talk, he checked his wallet. To his surprise, he still had money in it. "C'mon. Lets get back to Santalune City."


	6. Chapter 5: Fulfilling a Dream

Chris traveled back to where he met the girl in the black dress, a brick wall which separated Santalune City and Route 22. Chris scanned the area trying to find her, but to no success, causing him to advance closer and closer to Route 22. Despite this, Kakuna stopped well behind Chris, staring at the gym. He turned around to see his Pokemon staring up at the gym blankly. Chris approached the bug Pokemon, squatting down next to the it. Kakuna now stared at him.

"I promised I wouldn't do this again," began Chris. "I didn't want to see you guys get hurt again." Eevee now huddled up closely to Chris. Though not physically far away, Froakie and Fletchling felt miles away from them. Chris then turned his head to the two Pokemon, motioning for them to advance closer to him. Now all his Pokemon had huddled up next to him.

"If we're gonna do this...we gotta train first," said Chris looking at Eevee and Kakuna first, then staring at Froakie and Fletchling. Eevee and Kakuna smiled with excitement, while Froakie and Fletchling were left curious.

Chris and his Pokemon ventured into Route 22. Immediately, he hopped into the tall grass, Kakuna directly at his side. Eevee pleaded with Chris, wanting to battle first.

"You'll get your turn Eevee, be patient," he responded. In the wild, Chris encountered a wild Bunnelby. Chris sent in Kakuna, and the battle began.

The bunny Pokemon charged directly into Kakuna, but the cocoon Pokemon didn't budge an inch, merely absorbing the attack.

"Poison Sting!" called out Chris. Kakuna's white pupils glowed. Shortly after, the Pokemon fired a small dart at Bunnelby causing the Pokemon to be poisoned. Bunnelby now kicked up surrounding dirt, tossing it at Kakuna. Once more, Kakuna didn't budge.

"Again, Kakuna!" Kakuna fired another poison sting at Bunnelby. The poison inflicted on the bunny was much harsher now. Due to this, Bunnelby fled back into the tall grass. With the battle over, Chris ventured deeper into the tall grass to try and find another Pokemon to fight. Once he found one, he sent in Eevee.

Litleo looked at Eevee, small flames bursting from its nostrils. Eevee noticed the sun start to set and grew hesitant of fighting. Despite Eevee's personal desires, the Pokemon still fought Litleo.

"Eevee, Tackle!" called out Chris. Eevee charged towards Litleo, tackling directly into the lion cub's body. In response, Litleo fired off small embers towards Eevee, which the Pokemon swiftly dodged. Froakie and Fletchling gazed in awe at the Pokemon.

"Eevee, Quick Attack!" called out Chris. Eevee speeded towards Litleo pouncing on the cub quickly dealing a fair amount of damage to it. Litleo, aggrivated, fired off another batch of small flames at Eevee, whom once again dodged all of them; however, the embers that Eevee dodged were heading straight for Kakuna now. Of all of Chris' Pokemon, Fletching reacted quickly, flying towards the flame and taking the blast to protect Kakuna. Fletchling's body slid across the dirt as the bird Pokemon twitched with pain. Eevee looked back seeing Fletchling, injured. Then, the feline Pokemon grew enraged, now charging towards Litleo, biting down on the cub so strongly that Litleo fainted shortly after. Chris called back Eevee, now focusing on the injured Fletchling.

Chris and his Pokemon surrounded Fletchling. There was a clear burn mark at the chest of Fletchling's body. Kakuna stared quietly at the bird Pokemon, realizing what it had done for him.

"Fletchling," called out Chris quietly nudging the bird Pokemon. Fletchling groaned as it rose to its feet. Froakie began rolling its eyes. Fletchling stared at Froakie angrily, as if it were insulted.. Through gestures, Froakie showed how Fletchling was flopping, exaggerating the damage of the attack. Fletchling got defensive arguing that the move was incredibly strong.

"It was an ember…," stated Chris taking Froakie's side. Fletchling look annoyed. "But thanks Fletchling. What you did for Kakuna there… that's what friends do." Fletchling now turned to Kakuna. Kakuna extended its cocoon arm. Fletchling extended its wings and the two looked to have come to terms with one another, Chris smiling in the background.

"Hey," called out a trainer's voice in the distance. A kid with a blue sweatshirt and cargo shorts walked up to Chris. "I saw you take down that Litleo. That was pretty cool. Wanna battle?" Chris turned to look at his Pokemon.

"Froakie," called out Chris. Froakie looked up at Chris stiffly. "Wanna fight?" he asked, but Froakie shied away. "C'mon, you'll love it, trust me." The youngster sent out his only Pokemon, Zigzagoon. Froakie slowly hopped in front of Chris, staring nervously at Zigzagoon. Immediately, the youngster called out an attack.

"Zigzagoon, Quick Attack!" shouted the youngster. Zigzagoon zipped in multiple directions, confusing Froakie. The raccoon Pokemon then pounced on Froakie, damaging it harshly. In response, Froakie scurried backwards behind Chris. He looked at the scared Pokemon.

"Now I know what Serena was talking about," he thought to himself. Not wanting to push the Pokemon too much, Chris turned his eyes now to the one Pokemon that hadn't battled yet.

"Fletchling," called out Chris, getting the attention of the Pokemon. Chris motioned the Pokemon into the battle. It agreed, placing itself directly in front of Chris.

"Tackle, Zigzagoon!" Zigzagoon dashed towards Fletchling. In order to dodge the attack, Fletchling began flying well above Zigzagoon's reach, causing the move to miss.

"Peck, Fletching!" Fletchling's beak sharpened as the Pokemon swooped down, flying directly into Zigzagoon causing large amounts of damage to the raccoon Pokemon.

"Shake it off Zigzagoon! Now use Quick Attack!" Zigzagoon successfully landed this move, charging directly into Fletchling before it could take flight. Fletchling didn't over exaggerate the damage of the move like it did with Litleo's ember. Instead, the bird Pokemon rose to its feet quickly.

"Peck again!" called out Chris with a burst of energy. Fletchling's beak sharpened as the bird flew directly at Zigzagoon, the contact causing the raccoon Pokemon to faint, and for the battle to come to an end.

"Aw…, but I wanted to win," groaned the little kid now running off to the Pokemon Center. Chris applauded the work that his Pokemon did.

"Great job," he said looking at Fletchling. The bird Pokemon boasted to the other Pokemon. Shortly after applauding Fletchling, Chris noticed the sun was setting. In the same direction as the sunset, Chris saw the gym. He gazed at it, unsure whether to challenge it today or tomorrow morning. Chris then turned around, looking at his Pokemon.

"Should we?" he asked them. All of Chris' Pokemon joined him except for one, Froakie. All of them eyed the frog Pokemon silently. "You don't think your strong enough?" asked Chris approaching Froakie. The frog looked down. It worried it might embarrass Chris in battle. Immediately, Chris reached his arm out, lifting Froakie's head up. "You're a strong Pokemon. I know it. But in order to become strong Froakie..., you have to believe in yourself. Believe in yourself as much as I do." There was a brief moment of silence before Froakie joined by Chris' side.

Chris and his Pokemon then advanced into the gym. It was split into two hallways: one small one which was the entrance, and a larger hallway which lead into a small battlefield. A giant glass dome was suspended over the battlefield. As Chris walked into it, he could see the gym leader, but she wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, she was sitting comfortably on a chair, tapping away at her laptop. Chris cleared his throat loudly trying to get her attention, but she didn't notice.

"Excuse me," said Chris loudly. Finally, she responded.

"Oh… I'm very sorry. I usually don't expect challengers at night. Anyways… I'm Viola and this is my gym. As a challenger, are you ready to fight?" Her monologue was much quicker than Brock's, leaving Chris surprised. He looked back to his Pokemon, they all nodded with confidence except Froakie, whom stared at him nervously.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Viola sent out her first Pokemon, Surskit. Chris looked to send out Eevee, but the Pokemon refused, staring at the top of the dome, specifically at the night sky. Chris then turned to Fletchling, whom eagerly joined the battle. It was Surskit who had the speed advantage, and thus was able to attack first.

"Surskit, Water gun!" called out Viola beginning the battle. Surskit fired a small burst of water at Fletchling, the move hitting it directly, doing fair amounts of damage.

"Peck, Fletching!" ordered Chris. Flecthling's beak sharpened and the Pokemon charged directly at Surskit, but the bug Pokemon dodged the move successfully. Now in the air, Surskit was given another order.

"Water gun again, Surskit!" Surskit fired a blast of water at Fletchling, hitting the backside of the bird Pokemon causing it to collapse on the battlefield. Despite this, the bird still hadn't fainted. Chris felt uncomfortable seeing a Pokemon of his injured again. He pulled out Fletchling's pokeball, but the Pokemon refused to enter it, wanting to fight. Fletchling chirped at Chris, demanding an order.

"Peck, Fletchling!" he called out with a flair of confidence. Fletchling charged towards Surskit, beak first. Surskit tried dodging the attack, but Fletchling anticipated the dodge and landed the move successfully, doing substantial amounts of damage.

"Finish this Surskit! Water gun!" Surskit fired another blast of water at Flecthling, whom was too tired to move. The attack landed causing Fletchling to faint. Chris returned the Pokemon to its Pokeball, then sending out his next Pokemon.

Chris sent out his first ever Pokemon, Kakuna. Despite this, Surskit still had the speed advantage over the cocoon Pokemon.

"Water gun, Surskit!" she called out again. Surskit looked exhausted, but still fired off the attack at Kakuna. Water splashed on the cocoon Pokemon, but the Pokemon didn't budge an inch.

"Poison Sting, Kakuna!" Motionlessly, Kakuna fired a direct stinger at Surskit, the poison doing enough to cause Surskit to faint. Viola returned the fainted bug Pokemon to its pokeball, then sending out her ace Pokemon, Vivillon. The elegant butterfly amazed Kakuna for a brief second, but then returned to a fighting mindset. The elegant butterfly had the speed advantage over Kakuna, and moved swiftly.

"Vivillon, Gust!" Vivillon fired a gust of wind towards Kakuna. The move twirled Kakuna in a spiral upwards. Once the gust subsided, Kakuna fell to the ground, lying on its back. It couldn't get back up, requiring Chris' help. He ran up to the Pokemon, assisting it much to Kakuna's dismay. The Pokemon hated constantly being baby'd by him and Eevee. It wanted to be strong, but it just wasn't. The conclusion always saddened Kakuna, but Chris broke its train of thought, calling out an order.

"Kakuna, Poison Sting!" Kakuna reacted immediately, firing a direct stinger at Vivillon doing minimal damage; however, the move did successfully poison Vivillon.

"Vivillon, Gust!" demanded Viola. Vivillon blasted another gust of wind at Kakuna, causing the cocoon Pokemon to faint.

With Kakuna and Fletchling fainted, Chris looked at his remaining Pokemon: Eevee, whom refused to fight, and Froakie. He immediately focused on Froakie.

"You got this," he stated to the frog Pokemon catching it by surprise. Despite anything that Chris said, the Pokemon was still shy, and lacking confidence. Under his order though, Froakie entered the battlefield. "Believe in yourself just as much as I do Froakie," said Chris calmly. It soothed Froakie, causing the Pokemon to become calm and rela-

"Vivillon, Gust!" called out Viola immediately. Vivillon fired a gust of wind at Froakie. All calm emotions the Pokemon had were gone. The frog Pokemon hopped in multiple directions around the battlefield to avoid the move.

"Good Froakie! Good!" called out Chris to Froakie's surprise. "Now counter, Bubble!" Froakie obeyed now firing off a group of small bubbles at Vivillon, each doing minimal damage to the butterfly. Poison from Kakuna sapped away more and more of Vivillon's energy. Confidence began building slightly for Froakie.

"Bug Bite, Vivillon!" The butterfly swooped down trying to bite down on Froakie, but like Gust, Froakie dodged the move, jumping directly above the butterfly. Now directly above the butterfly, Chris called out an order.

"Bubble again!" Froakie fired away multiple bubbles at Vivillon sending the butterfly directly into the ground causing the Pokemon to faint, much to Froakie's surprise. With Vivillon down and out, the battle had come to an end.

Viola returned the fainted butterfly Pokemon to its Pokeball and began walking up to Chris. She had a slight smile on her face.

"Congratulations late night challenger! You've beaten the first of eight gyms in the Kalos Region! To show that you've defeated me, I offer you this badge." The statement came across as extremely rehearsed to Chris, making it seem disingenuous, but Chris didn't care, staring at a small case Viola carried with her as she walked slowly towards him. Viola opened the small case revealing the badge within. Chris looked at with glee.

"Finally," he thought to himself. "Finally I have a gym badge." He took the badge slowly, thanking her shortly afterwards. Once he had his badge, and elderly man walked up to him, offering him a potion.

"Spray that on your Pokeballs, it'll make them feel better," said the elderly man. Chris obeyed, spraying his Pokeballs which had caused both Fletchling and Kakuna to return to full health. The two of them then sprung out of their Pokeballs to join Eevee and Froakie. They all surrounded Froakie, cheering and applauding the frog Pokemon, building up its confidence. Chris thanked the two members of the gym one more time before he left.

Upon leaving, a french photographer approached Chris. He wrapped his arm around him and began speaking.

"Did you just beat the Santalune Gym?" he asked. Chris nodded skeptically.

"Ah.. Bon. This is a special moment for you. Come… I'll take a picture for you." His thick french accent made it hard to understand, but Chris made out the, 'picture taking part' and agreed.

"I wanna remember this moment for the rest of my life," he said smiling at his Pokemon. The frenchman ran back to his stationary camera. Seconds later, the camera flashed and the photo was taken.

Chris payed the photographer for the photo, thanking him as he ventured to Lumiose City. Despite the amounts of money he had, Chris still didn't have enough for a solid hotel room for one night, since Santalune was such an expensive city, so he decided to crash at the Pokemon Center for a night.

It was now eleven o'clock at night.

"We gotta get up early tomorrow to get to Lumiose City," said Chris to his Pokemon. "I wanna make sure I can see Gramps." Shortly after everyone went to bed except Chris. He turned over, now looking at Eevee. He remembered how Eevee refused to battle at the gym. It didn't surprise Chris that the Pokemon did this...

Years ago, in Oak's laboratory, Chris showed Eevee a chart full of all the different evolutions it could evolve into. The young Pokemon took immediate favor upon Espeon, seeing it as cool and strong. When Chris told the Pokemon that it could only evolve by gaining enough friendship at daytime, Eevee decided it never wanted to battle at night so that it wouldn't become an Umbreon. Shortly after these flash memories, Chris fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 6: Who is She?

Chris woke up the next morning at what he hoped to be seven-thirty…, but it was nine-forty-five. His eyes shot wide open.

"Oh God," he thought to himself. "Gramps...God I hope he's still there." In the corner of his eye, he saw Froakie bringing a tray of breakfast to him. Chris looked at the meal, chomping down on it as quickly as he could. He then speeded to the bathroom, fixing his hair and washing his face.

"C'mon we gotta go," he said to his Pokemon sprinting out of the Pokemon Center. Froakie groaned, expecting more appreciation for the meal. Fletchling gave the frog Pokemon an, "I told you so" face, much to the frog's annoyance. Chris bolted north of Santalune City. He had no time to appreciate the gardens that built an elegant pathway between the cities. After five minutes of jogging north, Chris finally made it to the grand entrance of Lumiose City, his Pokemon exhausted behind him.

"We gotta keep going," demanded Chris.

Despite Chris being in a hurry, he stopped to gaze at the city. Old and new architecture collided to create the most beautiful city in the world. From elegant stone arches to glass skyscrapers, the city was the epitome of beauty. The tower at the center mesmerized Chris. It had four sturdy, concrete legs which hoisted the structure which stretched upward into the sky. Eventually he broke away from the spell the city cast on him. Chris looked for any building that looked somewhat like a laboratory, but none looked like Oak's laboratory. Unsure where to go, Chris turned to citizens on the street.

"Excuse me sir, do you know where Professor Sycamore's lab is?" he asked nudging the shoulder of a man. He was older man with thinning hair, but a bushy mustache.

"Sycamore?" asked the man with a french accent. "Oh son laboratoire est là-bas." The man pointed to a building not far from Chris.

"Thank yo-. Merci beaucoup," responded Chris using the only french he knew. Sycamore's laboratory was the polar opposite of Oak's. The lab had an old French Chateau exterior design, stretching directly up with little horizontal room. It competed with neighboring hotels in height. As he walked towards the building, he noticed a brunette girl in a black dress and white gloves walking into the same building. She almost certainly looked like the person that mugged Chris. He rushed into the building ready to seek his revenge.

Immediately, upon entering the lab, he couldn't find the girl, much to Chris' dismay. Despite not finding her, he saw multiple scientists walking out of a conference room which lay directly ahead of him. Chris pushed past the endless lines of Professors, entering the conference room. In it, he saw Professor Sycamore at the head of the table talking to a man with spiky orange hair, and pure blue eyes.

"Professor Sycamore," called out Chris. The man came to attention. "Is the get together over?" asked Chris clinging to any hope he hadn't missed it.

"It is… who are you?" asked Sycamore tilting his head.

"I'm Chris Oak. I'm Professor Oak's grandson. I was hoping to see him here."

"You're Oak's grandson? Well I'm sorry to say, but he just left."

"Do you know how long ago?" asked Chris.

"Uh, about thirty minutes ago, I'm sorry."

"Damn...alright, thank you," said Chris ready to leave the conference room.

"Wait!" called out Sycamore. Chris turned around. Sycamore was staring directly at Froakie.

"You must be the Chris that helped Serena with Froakie. I heard the Pokemon took favor upon you," said the Professor. Chris nodded nervously. "Please join me in my office, I'd like to talk to you." Sycamore lead Chris to an elevator which was directly behind the head of the conference hall. On his way into the elevator, the man with orange, spiky hair stared at Chris intensely.

Sycamore had taken Chris to the third floor, which had brought him to Sycamore's office.

"Coffee?" asked Sycamore.

"Water's fine, thank you," responded Chris. Instantly, an assistant brought water to the table.

"So… how's the Kalos region been so far?" began Sycamore trying to buy time as he sifted through a filing cabinet.

"It's a beautiful place. Unlike anything I've seen before," said Chris in between sips.

"Everyone says that," responded Sycamore with a smile. "I just wanted to say, 'thank you' in person for taking care of Froakie. I'm happy to know its in the hands of a caring trainer. That reminds me," he said pulling out a letter from the filing cabinet. "Here we go." He now handed it to Chris. "Your grandfather told me to give this to you when you got here...Go ahead...read it." Chris set down the mug which had his water. He cleared his throat before reading the letter.

 _To our son Chris,_

 _I'm sorry we couldn't be there for your fifth birthday. If only your grandfather wasn't so stubborn, we would've brought you. Lumiose is unbelievable, I can't possibly wish to describe it, all these years later. I remember I met your mother here. I ran into her trying to catch a taxi, spilling coffee over her dress. I ended up meeting her later that day, buying her an even more expensive dress. We talked, laughed, and well the rest is history. Anyways, I'm rambling. We're on our way back with something very special for you, your very own Pokemon. Larvitar says hi!_

 _With love,_

 _James and Maggie Oak_

Chris leaned back in his chair after reading the letter. Sycamore stared at him briefly before speaking.

"That was the last letter they wrote to you, it was found in the-"

"In the crash," said Chris finishing the sentence.

"I'm sorry," responded Sycamore.

"Don't be...stuff happens. You just gotta move on," said Chris. In the distance, the sound of heels clicking as they hit the tiles grew louder and louder. Eventually a woman entered the office, gaining Sycamore's attention.

"There you are. Did you study the Pokemon in Santalune Forest, Charlotte?" asked Sycamore staring directly at her. Chris turned his head now focusing on the woman who entered. Charlotte was the woman with a single black dress and bright blue eyes. She became stiff when she saw Chris. "Something wrong?" asked Sycamore.

"Nothing, dad." she said with a smirk on her face.

"Dad!?" exclaimed Chris. She then approached her father, handing him a group of papers.

"All the information on Oddish's spore effects on humans."

"I said Bug Pokemon Charlotte, not people. Who'd you use Oddish against?" asked Sycamore. She now looked at Chris, chuckling deviantly.

"Me," intervened Chris.

"What! Charlotte!" Sycamore sunk his head into his hands. "I told you enough with this mischief… I hope she didn't harm you Chris."

"He payed me a hundred dollars to find a Weedle… in a forest," said Charlotte. Chris looked at her annoyed.

"You owe me my one hundred dollars," demanded Chris. She smirked, while Sycamore groaned in the background.

"Tell you what. You beat me in a battle, and I'll give it back to you." said Charlotte. Chris agreed.

Charlotte sent out her first Pokemon, Squirtle. Chris sent out his starter Pokemon, Kakuna.

"So you did find it," said Charlotte.

"No thanks to you…," groaned Chris. She smirked, calling out an order shortly after.

"Squirtle, Water gun!" The turtle blasted what looked like a geyser's worth of water at Kakuna, causing the cocoon Pokemon to faint immediately. Chris, in shock, returned the Pokemon to its Pokeball, then sending out Eevee, whom was eager to battle now that it was daytime.

"Bite, Eevee!" called out Chris. Eevee charged towards Squirtle, trying to bite the Pokemon, but it dodged the attack, slamming Eevee into the ground with its tail, causing Eevee to faint. Chris returned Eevee to its Pokeball, then sending out Fletchling, a worried look on his face.

"Squirtle, Water gun!" she called out immediately. Squirtle's blast of water was too large for Fletchling to avoid, causing the bird Pokemon to faint. Chris returned Fletchling to its ball, sending out his last Pokemon, Froakie.

"Froakie, Pound!" Froakie, still confident from the gym battle yesterday, charged towards Squirtle, hitting the Pokemon directly, but the move did little to no damage. Squirtle retaliated by grabbing Froakie stiffly then biting down on the frog Pokemon until it fainted. Squirtle then tossed Froakie back to Chris ending the battle. Charlotte had a large smile on her face.

"Guess I don't owe you your money," she said with a smirk.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry for what she did," said Sycamore in the background. "Charlotte… give him his money back!" he demanded.

"But dad I won it fair and sq-"

"Give…it…back." His tone got more hostile. Charlotte groaned, pulling out her wallet and giving Chris his money back. Sycamore then grabbed onto the back of Charlotte's neck harshly, pulling her towards him. "I'm going to say it one more time Charlotte. Enough with the pranks." Chris stared at the family alarmed. Upon seeing this, Sycamore released his daughter, calming himself.

"I have a big task that I need you to take care of in Ambrette Town. If I hear of anymore of these pranks, I will punish you. Do you understand me?" said Sycamore.

"Yes," she groaned.

"Good." He then opened a file cabinet, pulling out a folder. Immediately, he handed it to Charlotte. "You remember where Ambrette Town is?"

"Southwest of Camphrier Town," she responded in a nursery rhyme tone.

"Very good." She turned to leave, but gave Chris one more look. She gazed at him before giving a final smirk as she walked out.

"See ya around," she said leaving the lab.

"I'm sorry Chris. She can be a headache," said Sycamore.

"It's fine," responded Chris.

"Well if you're on your way out. I hope you enjoy the Kalos region, and thank you for visiting me." Chris thanked him back. "Oh wait, you see that machine over there." Sycamore then pointed to a machine laying just outside his office. "Put your Pokeballs in it. It will instantly heal them from fatigue. It's the same machine as the one in all the Pokemon Centers."

"Thank you," said Chris one more time before leaving.

As Chris exited the lab, immediately he saw Charlotte walking towards one of many exits that outlined Lumiose City. Chris then pulled up his phone to look at the map of the Kalos Region.

"That exit takes me to Route Five," whispered Chris to himself. His Pokemon were out of their Pokeballs, gazing at the city. "Route Five takes me to Camphrier Town… which then takes me to either Route Six or Seven. Seven takes me to Connecting Cave… Which then leads me to Ambrette Town and then Cyllage, where the gym is." Chris took in a deep breathe. "That's a lot of traveling," said Chris looking at his Pokemon. They all stared up at him. "I say lets get to Camphrier by today, and then hit the Connecting Cave tomorrow." Unsure of what that meant, his Pokemon agreed to his plan, and the crew set off!


	8. Chapter 7: Frustrating Furfrou

Chris took the south western gate exit. Though his Pokemon agreed with his decision, they still wanted to see more of the city.

"We'll see more of the city soon," said Chris. "There's a gym there that we eventually loop back to... We gotta do these gyms first guys…" He then turned around, staring at the new route ahead of him. A small smile emerged on his face. Chris then turned to look at Kakuna and Eevee.

"Champs," he whispered to them. The two smiled eagerly. Shortly after, Chris and his Pokemon ventured into Route 5 where not long after, Chris ran into Charlotte. She was training in the distance with her Squirtle, Oddish, and Jigglypuff. Squirtle left dents in trees from tackles, while Oddish crushed local basketballs with the move absorb. The grass Pokemon then turned around, notifying Charlotte that Chris was there. She turned around, staring at him briefly. A smirk grazed her face as she approached him slowly.

"You following me?" she said joking.

"Uh… no," he responded seriously. "I'm taking this route down to Ambrette Town, and then Cyllage City. No other way there…"

"C'mon, it's okay to admit it," she said continuing to joke.

"The last thing I wanna do is run into you again...you'll probably rob me again," said Chris.

"I did win fair and square," she muttered. Chris rolled his eyes as he began to walk away.

On his way to Camphrier Town, Chris battled a few wild Pokemon that came across him, primarily developing Froakie and Fletchling. An hour after Chris first left Lumiose City, he was now in Camphrier Town. It was an ancient town with a castle at the north of the town, a drawbridge connecting the two. Curiously, Chris decided to enter the castle, not knowing it was a massive tourist attraction. Unsurprisingly, it was crowded, but Chris had managed to nudge himself around the crowds to browse some of the ancient artifacts. He gazed at the artifacts, some ancients scribes, tablets, and stones. Chris focused specifically on a stone with a pink exterior, and a black and gold mixture in the middle which created a swirl. The stone was pretty, but the label next to it says that it was used to summon a far too dangerous Pokemon that was sealed away for thousands of years.

"That's a Mawilite," said a woman's voice in the background.

Chris turned around, looking at the woman. It was Serena.

"I read a folktale a while back," she continued. "It was about how it gave the Pokemon Mawile an ime-"

"Immeasurable amount of power," finished Chris. "I remember reading about it a couple years back."

"I shouldn't be surprised. After all you are Professor Oak's grandson," she said with a large smile on her face.

"There you are!" called out another woman's voice. Shauna now joined Serena.

"Oh hey Chris!" she said energetically. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, it's great to see you two…Where are the guys at?" asked Chris.

"Oh they went up Route 6 to see Parfum Palace," said Shauna.

"Oh that's cool… I'll go pay them a visit in a bit," said Chris.

"We were gonna join them...," responded Shauna energetically. "But Serena here wants to look at artifacts." She now looked at Serena annoyed. "But...I'll never leave my best friend's side." The two women smiled at each other.

"We'll join you in a bit Chris," said Serena. Chris waved to the two of them as he left the castle.

As he ventured west of Camphrier Town, Chris entered Route 7. The route split off into two sections, the first leading directly west to Connecting Cave, and the second lead to Parfum Palace. It was around midday now, and Chris thought he could reach Ambrette Town if he moved quickly enough, but he also needed to see Tierno and Trevor. Chris scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do.

"Could I go to Parfum Palace, and still make it to Ambrette Town in one day?" he thought to himself. Chris decided to venture down Route 7, attempting to gauge how long the route was. To his surprise, and dismay, a Snorlax lay sleeping on the bridge that crossed a small river. Chris saw two men directly next to the Pokemon, one dressed in robes like a karate expert, the other looked like a farmer.

"It's no hope," muttered the one in robes. "Not even the end of the world could wake this thing up."

"You think? This Snorlax is in a food coma," said the farmer.

"Oh God… not a food coma," said the robed man horrified.

"Excuse me," intervened Chris. "What's going on here?"

"What's going on here?" began the farmer. "Well, that this Snorlax is in a food coma and won't get out of the way. Bridge is blocked for now."

"Have you tried waking it up with everything?" asked Chris naively.

"We've tried everything we can, not even Machop's fighting moves could wake it up," responded the robed man.

"What about a Poke Flute?" asked Chris. "They're found all over the Kanto Region, you just play the flute to wake them up."

"That's the problem," said the man in robes. "The only Poke Flute this town had is in Parfum Palace… with that rich prick Francois." Chris looked at them confused.

"He won't give it back to the townsfolk until his Furfrou is found," said the farmer. Chris groaned.

"Alright… I'll go get it…, and find his… Furfrou."

"Heh, good luck kid," said the two men together. "We already looked, we couldn't find it."

"I'll find it," responded Chris confidently.

Route 6 was a small cobblestone pathway surrounded by trees that lined up directly next to the walkway. Once the trees cleared, there lay Parfum Palace, a gorgeous Palace with a bright blue roof, elegant marble columns reinforcing the building, and a golden gate planted at the front of the Palace. As Chris approached the golden gate, he was stopped by a toll booth.

"$60.00," it read. Chris pulled out his wallet. He noticed clearly that he had a hundred dollars returned to him by Charlotte, whom gave it to him in 20's. Chris payed the toll, entering the Palace. The floor to ceiling height inside must've been twenty feet. The floors were filled with regal marble tiles with red carpet leading around the castle as pathways for tourists to follow. Chris searched the castle, eventually finding one of the butlers of the castle.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find a… Francois?"

"Ah oui, he's at the balcony on the second floor," responded the butler. Chris then traveled up the golden railed stairs, reaching the second floor. It was just as tall as the previous floor, if not more. Eventually after searching for around six minutes, Chris found the balcony, where he found Francois.

"You're Francois right?" began Chris.

"Ah oui, monsieur," he responded. Chris groaned. Francois was more pretentious than he could imagine.

"I heard you have the Poke Flute," said Chris annoyed.

"NOT UNTIL MY FURFROU IS FOUND!" he exclaimed.

"Alright," responded Chris annoyed. "I'll find your Pokemon, just promise to give me the Poke Flute when I do."

"Tres bien," he responded. "I remember my Furfrou venturing into my garden." It turns out the balcony was overlooking the garden the entire time. As Chris turned to look at it, he grew disheartened. If the Palace confused him, he was about to venture into a labyrinth.

Chris passed by a bridge that oversaw a body of water that stretched the length of the mansion. Now in the garden, Chris searched for any sign of movement, but couldn't find any.

"Fletchling," now called Chris. The bird Pokemon looked up at him. "I want you to fly up and scout the garden." Chris now pulled out his phone looking at a Furfrou. "Furfrou's tend to have white fur and a black snout. Chirp when you've found it," he ordered. Fletchling agreed to the plan and took to the skies. Eventually after Chris searched deeper into the gardens, Chris found Tierno and Trevor, both laying back to back on a small stone bench next to a running fountain.

"Hey guys," began Chris. "You looking for that Furfrou?"

"Sadly," responded Tierno. "Trevor and I have been searching for half an hour and haven't found anything." In the distance, Fletchling chirped.

"It's gotta be over there," he said. Tierno and Trevor trailed slowly behind him.

As Chris got close enough to Fletchling, he found the poodle Pokemon, Furfrou. It was trapped at the dead end in the garden. With no other choice, the Pokemon began barking at Chris, Tierno, and Trevor. The three trainers tried approaching the poodle, leading the Pokemon to bark once more before finally attempting to bite Chris. In an attempt to protect its trainer, Eevee charged head first into Furfrou, causing a battle to ensue.

Furfrou charged towards Eevee trying to bite the feline Pokemon, but Eevee dodged. Furfrou was then suddenly hit by a static paralysis. Chris turned around to see that it was Trevor's Pikachu that hit Furfrou with a Thunder Wave. Eevee now tackled Furfrou at will, the poodle Pokemon too slow to retaliate. Eventually, the poodle fainted due to exhaustion.

Around ten minutes late, Chris returned to the balcony with Trevor and Tierno.

"Ah you three," began the owner of the Palace. "Have you found my Furfrou?" Chris nodded and turned around. The three trainer's Pokemon all presented the unconscious Pokemon, placing it in front of the Palace owner.

"What is this!?" demanded the man. "My dear Furfrou is a mess!"

"The Flute," demanded Chris.

"But my Furfrou! You injured my dear Poodle."

"But I brought it back to you, no?" responded Chris. The man groaned.

"You did agree to give him the flute if he returned your Furfrou," intervened the man's butler. He now sighed.

"Fine… give them the flute…" The butler scurried away briefly before returning to the balcony with the flute. The butler then handed it to Chris, whom took off immediately.

"Time to wake up sleeping beauty," he said to himself heading back to Route 7.


	9. Chapter 8: Wake Up Sleeping Beauty

Chris bolted out of the Palace leaving Trevor and Tierno in the dust. He blazed through Route 6, and reached the bridge shortly after. A large crowd now surrounded the bridge where Snorlax still lay. The mob of people were hollering angrily at the Pokemon, but it wouldn't budge, still heavily asleep. Chris could still see the farmer and the robed man right next to the Pokemon. He then made his way through the crowd, now directly next to the Pokemon.

"Did you get it?" asked the robed man. Chris nodded in response.

"You know how to play it?" asked the farmer.

"I carried one with me all the time when I traveled the Kanto Region," said Chris. He then pulled out the flute and began playing a melody which he memorized from his grandfather back in Kanto. The sound of the flute silenced the crowd around him. He continued playing the flute until the sleeping giant awoke. It groaned, opening one eye which stared directly at Chris. The Pokemon got up off its back and now stood on its two legs roaring at Chris. The crowd backed away. Eevee now jumped in to battle the sleeping giant.

"Eevee, Tackle!" Eevee charged at Snorlax tackling the belly of the behemoth, but Eevee bounced directly back to Chris, doing little to no damage to Snorlax. Snorlax now charged towards Eevee, each step it took caused a mini earthquake. Snorlax raised its left arm, scratching Eevee harshly. Despite the damage, Eevee was still in fighting condition.

"Eevee, Bite!" Eevee charged towards Snorlax again, but was unsure where to bite the pudgy Pokemon. Eevee resorted to biting down on Snorlax's arm, but like its tackle, the move did minimal to harm Snorlax. The giant Pokemon then grabbed Eevee by the Pokemon's neck, tossing it into the ground and stomping on it, causing Eevee to faint. The crowd looked on silently.

Chris returned Eevee to its Pokeball, then sending out his next Pokemon, Froakie. Froakie had the speed advantage over Snorlax and attacked first.

"Froakie, Water Gun!" called out Chris. Froakie put its hands together forming a sphere of water, which was then tossed directly at Snorlax. The move exploded on Snorlax causing the Pokemon's fur to become wet, enraging it even more. Once more, Snorlax charged towards Froakie attempting to scratch the frog Pokemon, but Froakie dodged the move quickly. Snorlax continued rampantly charging towards Froakie causing the Pokemon to become unnerved and unsure where to move. It was then that Froakie froze up trying to make a decision, leaving it open to Snorlax's attack. The behemoth of a Pokemon blasted Froakie, shoulder first, sending the Pokemon flying multiple feet behind Chris and into the crowd causing the Pokemon to faint. Chris returned the water type to its Pokeball and then sent out Fletchling.

"Peck, Fletchling!" ordered Chris instantly. Fletchling charged towards Snorlax, hitting the large Pokemon with its beak. The move had shown to do some decent damage to Snorlax. The giant tried to counter by punching the bird, but it successfully dodged it by flying back towards Chris. Snorlax was now too exhausted to charge towards Chris. Then, the behemoth Pokemon arched its body slightly backwards building up energy. Immediately, Snorlax unleashed a devastating blast at Fletchling causing the bird Pokemon to collapse immediately.

"Hyper Beam," muttered someone in the crowd. Snorlax had looked more exhausted than before, leaving Chris with one more open opportunity. He turned around, looking at his last remaining Pokemon, ordering it in.

Chris sent out his last Pokemon, Kakuna. A group of people in crowd groaned at the sight of the cocoon Pokemon.

"This guy's screwed," muttered one of them.

"Guess I'm up next," muttered another. Chris ignored them, staring directly at Snorlax. It stood motionless, breathing heavily. Chris knew this was an opportunity for a free move.

"Poison Sting, Kakuna!" demanded Chris. Kakuna fired a small stinger at Snorlax attempting to poison the Pokemon, but to no success. Snorlax now gained enough energy to begin charging towards Kakuna. Snorlax raised its right arm preparing to slam it directly onto the head of Kakuna. To Chris' surprise, Kakuna dodged the move, tossing itself out of the way. Kakuna then got back onto its feet before lunging its body at Snorlax. Kakuna gripped itself to Snorlax by stabbing the goliath of a Pokemon in its back with its stinger. Snorlax roared in pain, backing away trying to reach for Kakuna, but the Pokemon stuck itself in a position out of Snorlax's reach. Snorlax twisted itself viciously, causing Kakuna to move slightly. Now, Snorlax gripped the cocoon Pokemon, attempting to crush it in its arm. Knowing this, Kakuna hardened its outer shell, making it nearly impossible for Snorlax to crack. Angered, the beast tossed Kakuna aggressively at the bark of a tree that lay nearby the bridge. A crack could be heard echoing throughout the route. The entire crowd, as well as Chris stared at the bug Pokemon. Kakuna lay head forward lifelessly staring at the ground. On the back of the cocoon Pokemon, everyone saw a large gapping hole. Snorlax stared at the shell breathing heavily, but then something changed. A wing was seen rising from the cracked shell, another wing rose shortly after. The bright-white eyes of Kakuna were gone, now changing to a ruby red. A new Pokemon rose from the empty shell that was Kakuna… it had evolved.

Black and yellow stripes draped down the newly evolved Pokemon, whom now had two lethal and and sharp needles for arms.

"Beedrill," said Chris to himself. "The final evolution of Weedle." Beedrill now looked at Chris demanding an order. Before Chris could give one, Snorlax began rushing towards Beedrill, leading with its shoulder. The newly evolved Pokemon dodged the move, soaring directly upwards. Beedrill then aimed at Snorlax from a distance, tucking its leg in before flying directly at Snorlax planting itself into the back of the behemoth similar to what it had done previously. The massive Pokemon once again roared in pain as Beedrill's venom began entering Snorlax. The toxin which Beedrill released caused Snorlax to become drowsy and eventually faint right next to the tree, crushing Kakuna's shell. With Snorlax down, the bridge was now free to all. The crowd cheered on Chris, as Beedrill returned right to his side.

Swarms of people now began to pass through the bridge. As the hoard passed through, Chris noticed Charlotte in the crowd passing by. She gave Chris a smile.

"Not bad Chris… Maybe you'll be a challenge the next time we meet." She then ventured down Route 7. Shortly after, in the distance, a voice called out.

"That was incredible!" called out a female voice.

"Shauna," presumed Chris. It turned out to be Serena. They both stared at each other, eye to eye.

"Your Pokemon did great in that battle," she said shyly. Beedrill was still next to Chris looking at her. She smiled at the Pokemon. "Listen, there's going to be a fireworks show tonight at Parfum Palace. You wanna come with us?"

"Tonight?" asked Chris. She nodded. He then glanced past the bridge looking at Route 7.

"Is it a bad time?" she asked.

"No, no. I'll join you guys tonight. What time?" he responded hastily.

"Eight," she responded eagerly. It was currently four in the afternoon. Serena scurried off back to Camphrier Town. Chris sighed.

"Guess I won't reach Ambrette today," he thought to himself.

Chris returned to Camphrier Town to heal his Pokemon. Once in the Pokemon Center, he placed four bowls down on a glass table next to a couch for his Pokemon. While all his Pokemon ate normally, Beedrill now used its arms to lift food to its mouth, something the Pokemon couldn't do up to this time. It took the bee Pokemon a while before it finally mastered carrying food. Chris in the background was on the phone calling his grandfather.

"Sorry I couldn't get to see you today," said Chris.

"Don't worry about," responded the grandfather. "You should be focusing on your Pokemon not about seeing an old hag like me." Chris chuckled. "How's the region so far?" he asked.

"I can't put it in words," said Chris.

"Prettier than Kanto?"

"Much prettier."

"You can see why it's such a magical place...I just wished your parents could've been here to see it," said Oak. His tone was much deeper and sorrowful. There was a period of silence.

"Anyways," began Oak breaking the silent pause. "Have you met any knew Pokemon in Kalos?" Chris turned his head now looking at Froakie and Fletchling, whom were still eating.

"Yeah...I met two new Pokemon. Froakie and Fletchling."

"That's great to hear...I bet you got around two gym badges right now."

"One," said Chris correcting his grandfather. "I was so happy to have that badge...I thought you'd be proud of me."

"Not me...be proud of yourself and your Pokemon for what you've accomplished together." The two continued talking for about half an hour before hanging up. Once the conversation ended, Chris ventured into the fields of Route 5 to train his Pokemon until it was eight o'clock.

Now eight o'clock, Chris ventured down Route 6 to reach the entrance to Parfum Palace. The golden gate was open, but hordes of people lay on blankets in the front yards of the Palace, even Chris' friends. Shauna called out to Chris, getting his attention.

"Why don't you sit next to Serena over there," said Shauna. Chris saw Serena sitting on a large blanket by herself. He sat next to her, his Pokemon also surrounded the blanket prepping to watch the fireworks.

"This firework show happens only once a year," began Serena.

"Huh… Guess its was a good time to come to Kalos," remarked Chris. She glanced briefly at him when he wasn't looking at her.

"…I'm glad you came to Kalos…," she said quietly.

"Huh?" responded Chris.

"N-nothing…," she responded quickly. The two stared in opposite directions with Shauna breaking the silence.

"Oh its starting!" she exclaimed. A single burst of fireworks began the ceremony. Flashes of multiple colors then filled the sky: red, blue, yellow, orange, and many many more.

"Wow," muttered Chris. Serena now turned to look at him, then looking down. She motioned her fingers closer to him slowly trying not to grab his attention. Once a massive firework covered the sky, she made her move, slipping her hand next to Chris'. At first he didn't take note of it, but as she touched the center of his hand, Chris noticed. He motioned his hand away.

"Sorry," he whispered to her.

"No problem," she responded with a smile. The two looked different directions, now just staring at the same fireworks, but from two different angles.

Chris spent the night in the Pokemon Center after the fireworks show. When he woke up, it was seven o'clock in the morning. He grabbed a quick breakfast, fed his Pokemon and set out immediately ready to conquer the long Route 7. As he came by the bridge, he noticed the Snorlax still sleeping under the tree next to the bridge. Once past the bridge, Chris was confronted by the farmer from yesterday.

"Hey kid," he said in a rusty voice. "You're the one who got the flute, and beat the Snorlax, right? Gotta say… thanks kid for what you did… I uh couldn't find you yesterday to give you this, but uh I hope I can show my thanks by giving you this." The farmer handed him a berry. "That's a Chople Berry… It helps lessen the damage of effective moves against a Pokemon… For a trainer like yourself… I figure that could help you out." Chris thanked the farmer, shaking his hand before taking off. He saw a day care as he continued west. Shortly after the day care was an elegant building with Kalos architecture similar to that in Santalune City. After that building, the route stretched for two miles before finally reaching Connecting Cave. Chris pulled out his phone which opened up a map of the Kalos region.

"So… Connecting Cave takes me to Route 8… which takes me south to Ambrette Town… Seems simple enough. What could possibly go wrong?"


	10. Chapter 9: Fossilized

Connecting Cave was a small cave, that Chris ventured through at a quick pace. Only a few Zubat stood in the way of Chris, but his Pokemon were much stronger from the training he did yesterday before the firework show, especially Fletchling and Froakie. Once they exited the cave, Chris was greeted by his greatest fear, heights. Route 8 was a cliffside that gave view to the south western ocean of Kalos. Chris followed an ancient cobblestone walkway which lead him to a skywalk, a bridge that arched horizontally around a cliff to allow a clear pathway for travelers. Chris scanned his surroundings to see if there was any other option in regards to get to Ambrette town. With no other choice, Chris ventured onto the bridge.

"Don't look down," he mumbled to himself. "Don't look down… Don't look down," he continued to repeat. Despite his attempts, curiosity overpowered him, and he looked down.

"OH JESUS! No I can't do this," he screamed. Beedrill and Eevee had never seen their trainer, their leader this frightened. Fletchling began laughing at Chris for being scared. Beedrill eventually joined in… then Eevee… and then Froakie. To see even Froakie laugh at him was the last straw to Chris.

"Alright…," he stated. "I'm getting across this bridge.." Chris closed his eyes, gripping the guardrail with his life. Before he knew it, he was on the other side of the cliff. Chris chuckled.

"Ha! Well that wasn't so bad." Chris then turned around, realizing a steep and narrow pathway was his only way down…and there was no guardrail. He turned to look at his Pokemon. Other than Beedrill and Fletchling, Chris returned all his Pokemon and began down the steep cliffside that was Route 8.

About an hour passed since Chris passed through Connecting Cave. Now he was in Ambrette Town. It was a surprisingly modern town with modern structures parallel to the beach, all of which was contrary to the images that appeared on Chris' phone. The town was previously a old and dilapidated. Now, there didn't seem to be a spec of old anywhere. At the center of the town was a circular building with a blue dome roof encompassing it. Chris approached it, reading the sign in the front.

'Ambrette Town Aquatic Museum, funded by the Lysandre Foundation,' it read.

"Wouldn't hurt to take a look," thought Chris.

As Chris entered the building, immediately he saw a crowd of people surrounding a stage that had a screen that stretched from floor to ceiling. At the center of the crowd was a man with large, orange, spiky hair barely visible because of all the cameras flashing. Chris remembered him from the Professor's get together back in Lumiose City.

"Kalos has always been a region known for its beauty," began the spiky haired man silencing the surrounding crowd. "But…, Ambrette Town was always a dirty town to me when I visited as a child." He paused briefly prancing around the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen…our beautiful region is slowly becoming more and more hideous by the moment. Humans are becoming wasteful, polluting this place…In my attempt to fight this ongoing destruction, I present the Ambrette Town Aquatic Museum… energy efficient and harmless to the environme-" The man now turned to face Chris.

"Excuse me," demanded the spiky haired man now walking up towards Chris.

To his surprise, the man had walked directly past him.

"Diantha!" he exclaimed. "How have you been?"

"Still lecturing people, Lysandre," she responded. Chris turned around now to look at her. She was easily the most attractive women he'd ever seen in his life, a model for sure. She had pale skin covered in a white silk jacket, gentle blue eyes, and short brown hair.

"What I 'lecture' people on is important," he said strongly. "You may not see it. But I fear this beautiful land will become destroyed quickly if we are not careful." Lysandre now turned to Chris. "Don't you agree with me, son?" Chris stared at him, standing stiffly.

"Uh… well…"

"Don't put him on the spot," said Diantha gently in the background.

"Well…," began Chris. "I don't have a problem with what you desire as long as you aren't harming others." Lysandre stared at him briefly. He then smirked, putting his hand on Chris' shoulder.

"You see what I see…I know it. What's your name?" he asked.

"Chris," he responded shyly. Lysandre now turned to the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming out… Please enjoy the museum for yourself." He now turned to Chris, looking at his Pokemon. "You're a Professor, right? I saw you at Lumiose I remember."

"I'm not a Professor," said Chris correcting him. "Professor Oak is my grandfather."

"I see...you must be a trainer I presume," he said looking at Chris' Pokeballs. The two stared at each other silently. Lysandre then smirked. "I hope I see you again sometime." He then left the museum.

Diantha rolled her eyes as she saw Lysandre leaving. She now looked at Chris.

"Lysandre can get a bit out of hand there. I hope it wasn't too embarrassing."

"I-It's alright," said Chris blushing.

"…So you're a trainer?" She asked looking at Chris' Pokemon.

"Yeah," responded Chris continuing to be shy.

"You get your first gym badge?" She then asked him, talking to him as if he were a child, which began to annoy Chris. Suddenly, he noticed Charlotte passing by him. She didn't seem to notice Chris as she walked past him. Charlotte looked different in Chris' eyes. She still had the same black dress on, but she scurried through the museum nervously. He felt inclined to follow her, and he did.

"I'm sorry," he said to Diantha while still looking at Charlotte in the distance. "I have to go."

"No problem," responded Diantha. "Au revoir!"

Charlotte ventured to the southeast exit to Ambrette Town. Chris checked his phone, learning that the route she was heading down was Route 9. As he chased after her, Chris noticed her traveling on a Rhyhorn across a very steep cliffside. Rhyhorn's claws made it easy to venture through the steep land. Chris returned all his Pokemon to their Pokeballs except Beedrill and Fletchling. He scanned his surroundings, then taking a step forward into the steep land. He successfully held himself, but on the second step he began slipping. Instantly, Chris pulled himself back to stable land.

"Maybe not a good idea," he thought to himself. His curiosity began gnawing at him, to the point where he had to see Charlotte. "What is she doing?" he asked himself. "Why does she look so nervous?" He knew she was onto something possibly deviant. He pranced around the stable ground, staring at the steep land.

"I got an idea!" he then exclaimed looking at the two flying Pokemon on his team. Beedrill gripped its legs onto Chris' right shoulder, which was facing the downhill of the cliff, Fletchling gripped onto Chris' left shoulder which faced the uphill of the cliff. Chris now began walking on the steep pathway, his two Pokemon elevating him gently creating a path for Chris to reach Charlotte.

The cliff came to an abrupt end, only a cave lay in front of Chris. The Rhyhorn which Charlotte used was laying outside the cave, resting. Chris knew clearly she was in there. Chris ventured into the cave quietly. Crystals within the cave established light giving Chris a glittering pathway. As he passed through the cave, he noticed more and more wild Pokemon scurrying around him. They seemed peaceful, so he continued forward not needing to use his Pokemon. Eventually, the expansive cave began to thin down to a single path, and it was then that Chris found the first hostile Pokemon. The tiny Pokemon charged directly at him, ensuing a battle.

An armored plated Pokemon with distinct blue eyes charged directly at Chris mistaking him for a Pokemon. The Pokemon began to ignore him once it realized Chris was human, but then it saw his Eevee, and immediately began attacking it. Eevee dodged and began scratching the armored plated Pokemon aggressively, but it didn't leave a single mark. Chris now had a clear view of the Pokemon.

"Aron," he muttered to himself. Beedrill tried poisoning Aron, but the Aron's steel type made Beedrill's poison useless. Fletchling tried pecking Aron, but to no success. The only Pokemon to have shown to do damage to Aron was Froakie, whom fired multiple bubbles at Aron in the distance. Aron was sent multiple feet back, then looking at Froakie, smiling. The Pokemon tilted its head downwards and began charging at Froakie. The timid Pokemon, fearfully climbed onto Chris' shoulder. Aron was now charging towards Chris. In a last ditch effort to same him hours of pain, Chris tossed his second to last remaining Pokeball at Aron. The ball hit Aron directly on the head, sealing Aron within the ball before falling to the ground. The ball twitched once to the left, once to the right and then came to a pause. The cave had returned to silence. Chris walked up to the ball, and tossed it revealing the newest Pokemon on his team. Aron glanced in multiple directions before looking at Chris giving him a smile. Chris sighed. The steel Pokemon began walking up to Froakie, but Froakie shyly kept distance from the newly caught Pokemon.

"It's alright Froakie," began Chris. "Pokemon like Aron love to battle. That's why it attacked us...Or we invaded his territory." Chris now looked down at Aron.

"I've read a lot about you Aron...I always wanted an Aggron when I was younger," he said. "Guess this Kalos trip has been better than I expected." Chris then handed Aron a snack. The iron Pokemon nibbled on it happily, annoying Eevee.

"He's a part of our team now, wait. The hell am I doing!? I gotta find Charlotte." In the distance, a loud thud could be heard. Aron began chasing off towards the sounds, which were more than likely Charlotte. Chris trailed shortly behind Aron.

As the noises grew louder and louder, Chris noticed that he and his Pokemon had begun to enter an abandoned mine.

"Aron," called out Chris quietly, but the Pokemon didn't respond. He then leaned up against a wall listening to a conversation on the other side.

"It's not here," said a masculine voice angrily.

"We found the fossils just like he demanded," responded a feminine voice, which sounded like Charlotte's. Aron now turned the corner, halting the conversation.

"It's just a Pokemon," said the man. Chris now turned the corner and saw his Aron. As he looked farther down the mine, he could see Charlotte and a man dressed all in red with red hair and red shades. Aron looked back to see Chris and now began charging towards the man dressed in red and his Pokemon, Houndour.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the man. Charlotte now turned around to see Chris.

"Chris?" she said confused.

"Sorry," began Chris. "The Pokemon gets a little energetic for battles."

"You caught an Aron?" she muttered in the distance. Houndour barked at Aron, whom was smiling at the opportunity to battle.

"Well take that thing out of here, I got things to do," said the man.

"Sure… Aron," called Chris pulling out its Pokeball. The Pokemon didn't respond, instead now looking harshly at the man dressed in red. It was as if the Pokemon recognized him. Now Aron growled, as it charged towards the man. Houndour stepped in the way, biting down on the steel Pokemon and then sending it back towards Chris.

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Charlotte.

Unsure of what was going on, Chris took a step back. Aron took to action, charging towards Houndour, getting underneath the dog Pokemon and then tossing it directly into the ceiling of the cave. This caused Houndour to faint, but it also caused the cave to begin shaking viciously. The man in red returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball and began to flee.

"You're on your own," he said to Charlotte as he sprinted away. Chris returned all his Pokemon to their Pokeballs except for Aron whom refused to.

"Charlotte!" called Chris."We gotta get the hell out of here!" Charlotte instead ran the opposite direction, reaching for an item of some sort. Chris raced towards her looking to see what she was trying to drag. It was two heavy fossils.

"Take one, I got the other!" shouted Chris with the cave still shaking rapidly. Chris picked up a fossil with a jaw on it, Charlotte grabbing one with a sail. The two now sprinted for the exit, the cave collapsing behind them. The avalanche of falling rocks behind them began catching up to Chris, whom trailed behind Charlotte. The exit was in sight, but Chris noticed the rocks above them were about to collapse. Chris dropped the fossil, pushing Charlotte forward causing her to fall out of the cave and away from the falling rocks.

As she picked herself up, she noticed that her fossil was still intact, but the cave had completely collapsed.

"Chris," she called out. "CHRIS!"

Chris coughed harshly. The falling of boulders had come to a stop, but things didn't look good for Chris.

"Aron," he called out praying the Pokemon was still by his side. The Pokemon gave a small cry. Chris was completely trapped within the collapsed cave. Despite this, he could feel Aron cuddle up next to him.

"I hope she got out… I mean I pushed her. She looked like she was out of the cave…," he thought to himself. Chris leaned back against the cave. Surprisingly, he was calm.

"She'll be back," he said confidently. "She wouldn't leave me in here. Why would she?" Chris then began petting Aron's steel body, which calmed the Pokemon.

"I got an Aron," mumbled Chris to himself in relief. "You like to battle don't you?" asked Chris to the Pokemon. Aron was silent. He then chuckled.

"Well...I've got seven more gyms to go...that's gotta be hundreds of battles along the way." Chris could feel Aron becoming more alert. "You do like to battle," he said. "Well...once we get out of this cave, we're gonna battle Aron, I promise." The Pokemon let out a joyful cry as it lay its head on Chris' lap.

Hours had passed since the cave collapsed. Aron began eating parts of the rock in an attempt to create a tunnel, but to no success. With each minute that passed, Chris became more and more paranoid.

"Is she gonna get help? Did she leave me? Who was that guy? Am I gonna die?" There was little amounts of oxygen left in the small space he was trapped in. He felt as if he were slowly suffocating. He panicked initially but calmed down overtime. Aron now returned to Chris' side, snuggling up to his side. Chris took one more breath before falling asleep… or at least he tried.

"I thought I was gonna be a Champion...," he thought to himself. "Everything was going so well...and this is how it ends?" Just as he shut his eyes, searing flames surrounded the boulders facing the exit to the cave. In a matter of seconds, the boulders that trapped Chris were turned to pebbles.

Multiple flashlights shined on Chris, blinding him. Despite his blindness, he could make out a single Pokemon, with a fiery mane… a lion. Now one of the men with a flashlight approached Chris.

"Found him!" he shouted. The man then found Aron as well. Chris, instinctively, returned Aron to its Pokeball as the man picked Chris up, carrying him out of the cave. As he was taken out of the cave, Chris noticed it was now nighttime. He also noticed that it was Lysandre from the museum earlier with the lion Pokemon directly by his side.

"Thank you," groaned Chris, but Lysandre couldn't hear him.

"Get him to a hospital," demanded Lysandre. Chris blacked out shortly afterwards.


	11. Chapter 10: Turn a Blind Eye

Chris woke up the next morning in a hospital. He had a few scrapes and cuts from the collapsing cave draped around his arms. He turned to his right, seeing all his Pokemon sleeping by him, the sight eased him. Moments later, Charlotte entered Chris' room, without her typical smirk. Instead she stared at him angrily. She was completely silent just staring back and forth at him and his Pokemon. Finally, Chris broke the silence.

"That man in the cave…," he began. "Who was he?"

"Shouldn't you know…," she responded.

"What? Charlotte I have no clue who that was."

"Quit the bullshit, you know who that was," she stated, her voice growing louder.

"I swear on my life I've never seen that guy before," he responded. Charlotte paused staring at him confused.

"How could you not? Your the…" She paused again."You really don't know?"

"No," said Chris annoyed. Once again, she paused.

"I think its better that way." She then walked up towards his bed, placing the jaw fossil right next to him before walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going," called Chris.

"Turn a blind eye Chris, it's better that way." She then left the hospital room.

Chris was discharged from the hospital hours after Charlotte left. He tried to look for her, but she was well out of Ambrette Town by then. Instead, Chris carried the relatively light fossil over to the Fossil Lab which was adjacent to the Lysandre's Museum. Chris entered the building, waiting at the front desk for a scientist whom approached him. Chris showed her the fossil.

"Were these found in pairs?" asked the scientist. Chris looked at her confused. "Sorry… a girl from earlier asked for her Sail fossil to be revived. Was this Jaw fossil found near it."

Chris nodded.

"Fascinating… anyways, this shouldn't take too long." She took the fossil into a room out of Chris' sight. There was a flash of bright light in the background, and five minutes later, she returned to him with his Pokemon.

"Alright," she groaned, trying to lift the Pokemon onto the table. The Pokemon instead hopped up to the table on its own.

"Well…," she began. "This is your new Pokemon. This is Tyrunt." The Pokemon turned to look at Chris, tilting its already massive head. He tried moving his hand near the Pokemon, but it snapped, trying to bite it. Chris pulled his hand back, then Beedrill and Eevee charged at Tyrunt, the small dinosaur cowering behind the desk in response. Chris called off his Pokemon, now pulling out a treat. As Tyrunt returned to the top of the table, Chris began approaching it again, holding his hand out. Tyrunt didn't snap at it, in fear of being attacked. Chris now took a single treat, holding it with his thumb and index finger. He motioned upward, and Tyrunt, in response, opened its large jaws. Chris tossed the treats directly into Tyrunt's mouth, satisfying the Pokemon. Chris then tossed another treat to Tyrunt, whom happily ate. He now approached Tyrunt one more time, now hoisting the Pokemon upward like a toddler. The Pokemon laughed, as it was being tickled.

"Y'know," intervened the scientist. "Tyrunt used to be the king of Kalos in ancient times."

The words hit deeply into Tyrunt. The Pokemon had now become extremely prideful, now boasting to all of Chris' Pokemon about how it was regal. Tyrunt approached Beedrill last, expelling pride. In response, Beedrill nudged Tyrunt slightly which caused the Pokemon to fall. Because of its small arms, it was unable to get up. Chris and his Pokemon laughed, welcoming Tyrunt to the team.

Chris left Ambrette Town after acquiring Tyrunt. He was now on the lower ends of Route 8, walking on a concrete sidewalk directly next to the beach. He gazed at the ocean, seeing all the vast amounts of Pokemon roaming freely around. While on the sidewalk, Chris paused pulling out his phone to look at the Kalos map. To his surprise, he was near Cyllage City, home to the second gym leader of Kalos.

"Says here he specializes in rock-type Pokemon," said Chris looking at his Pokemon. Beedrill and Eevee shuddered. The haunting memories of Brock returned to Chris. The other four Pokemon on his team stared at him confused. Noticing this, Chris spoke to them about his past.

"Beedrill, Eevee, and I kept losing to the same rock type gym leader many years ago… But things are different this time."

Chris now spoke with confidence. "It's no longer just those two…its all of us. And all of us together I know can beat that gym leader."

Chris now entered Cyllage City. Like Ambrette Town, it was a modern city which lay parallel to the beach with multiple public stairwells which led down to it. As Chris tried entering the city, a voice called out.

"BACK UP!" called out a man on a bicycle. After that first cyclist, many more followed, covering the entire road Chris tried to cross. He then turned to a stranger viewing the bike race.

"What's going on?" asked Chris.

"You serious? It's the Tour De Kalos! The most exciting cycling race in the world!" responded the man energetically. Chris was more astonished that he found a stranger that could speak english in a crowd of French speakers. Once the crowd of cyclists passed by, Chris saw Serena. She was tending to a Rhyhorn of hers. He approached her, calling out her name.

"Hey Serena," he began. She turned to him in surprise.

"Hey Chris," she responded. "How you been?"

"Fine…fine, you?"

"I've been great."

Chris smiled then turning his attention to the Rhyhorn.

"Say when did you get a Rhyhorn?" asked Chris.

"Oh… I found him on the cliffs of Route 8. He's super friendly if you wanna pet him."

Chris agreed, petting the large rock Pokemon.

"How the other guys doing?" asked Chris attempting small talk.

"They're fine…they decided to stay back at Camphrier for another day."

"And you?"

"Well…I was thinking about challenging Grant," she said.

"Same here," responded Chris.

"Is that so? Say… could we… battle?" she asked shyly. Chris leaned in as if he hadn't heard her.

"I wanna just see if I'm ready to battle the gym leader, because… y'know…. you're a strong trainer."

Chris agreed happily, but something about a Rhyhorn kept sticking on his mind.

Serena sent in her newest Pokemon, Rhyhorn. Chris' Eevee had always led off in battles, but Aron had now beaten Eevee to the punch, being sent out first. In this scenario, Rhyhorn had the speed advantage.

"Rhyhorn, Drill Run!" Rhyhorn's horn began twisting rapidly replicating a drill as the Pokemon charged towards Aron, whom was unfazed. As Rhyhorn was about to land the attack, Aron dodged, hurling itself to the right of Chris. Now he called out his order.

"Aron, Metal Claw!" Aron's claw hardened being surrounded in a second layer of metal, before it slashed Rhyhorn directly doing a large amount of damage to the rock type. Rhyhorn then returned to Serena's side, awaiting an order.

"Rhyhorn, Magnitude!" Rhyhorn rose to its hind legs before slamming itself into the ground causing a rift, damaging Aron heavily, whom barely hung on, due to its sturdy ability.

With just a little amount of energy left to fight, Chris called out one more order.

"Aron, Iron Head!" Aron pawed the ground twice before charging directly into Rhyhorn causing the Pokemon to faint.

Serena returned the fainted Rhyhorn, then sending out her final and ace Pokemon, Fennekin, which had now evolved into its middle stage, Braixen. Serena wasted no time, confidently calling out an order.

"Ember, Braixen!" Braixen pulled a twig from out of its tail, firing an array of small flares at Aron causing the Pokemon to faint. Chris returned the fainted Pokemon to its Pokeball, now looking back to his team. Chris thought about putting Froakie in, but instead he decided with Fletchling, much to the bird Pokemon's surprise.

"C'mon, let's try a change of pace," said Chris to the bird Pokemon. "...Unless your scared?" he said mocking the Pokemon. Fletchling now shared equal pride levels with Tyrunt and eagerly charged into battle. It was used to being faster than all of its opponents, but this time Braixen was faster.

"Psyshock!" called out Serena. Braixen used the same twig from before to fire a psychic shock at Fletchling, paralyzing the Pokemon briefly. Braixen then fired the same burst of flares at Fletchling similar to what happened to Aron. Despite the move doing large amounts of damage, Fletchling was still in fighting condition.

"Fletchling, Aerial Ace!" ordered Chris. Fletchling began flying directly upward until Braixen couldn't see the bird. As Fletchling flew higher and higher, a ray of light surrounded the Pokemon. Once high enough, Fletchling swooped down, slashing Braixen at a direct angle. The bird Pokemon then returned to Chris' side, a newly evolved Pokemon, Fletchinder. The Pokemon's small, innocent chirps were now substituted for a much fiercer sound. The bird Pokemon radiated with heat which Chris could feel from a distance.

"Psyshock, Braixen!" called out Serena with a smile. She was still in awe at the mid-battle evolution. As Braixen tried to paralyze Fletchinder, the bird Pokemon dodged the attack, and began charging directly after Braixen, tackling the fox. Braixen fainted shortly after the attack.

Serena returned her ace Pokemon to its Pokeball, her smile disappeared.

"Guess I'm not ready," she groaned.

Chris shunned her.

"You can't give up just like that. You're a leader to your Pokemon…. If you give up quickly like that, they'll give up on you."

She was silent.

"…Y'know. You do sound a lot like your grandfather...I listen to his speeches all the time."

Chris stared at her silently as she continued to speak.

"And you're right. I'm gonna head to Route 10, and and train my Pokemon," she exclaimed, a smile returning to her face.

Chris agreed with her plan, but then something dawned on him.

"Wait, Serena!" he called out to her as she began walking away. "That Rhyhorn...Did you lend it to anyone yesterday?"

Serena froze as if she were found doing a crime.

"Can you keep a secret?" she asked quietly.

"What?"

"I did lend it to someone…"

"Was it Sycamore's daughter?" asked Chris.  
"How did you...She said it was for Sycamore's research purposes and that if he learned that I helped her, that the Professor may give me a promotion."

"Okay," mumbled Chris.

"I'm sorry. I should've come clean about it," she said.

"No…, I was just wondering about Rhyhorn. I saw her yesterday using it and I was just curious."

"Oh… well that clears things up… Anyways… I'm uh..gonna go...to Route 10." She waved awkwardly at Chris one more time before taking off.

With Serena now at Route 9, Chris ventured to the nearest Pokemon Center, healing Aron, and then setting out to the Cyllage City Gym, which substituted as quite literally a gym. Chris scurried past the weights which were scattered across the grounds and multiple different machines, then finding himself at the center of a rock Colosseum. Chris shuddered as he entered the place. The gym leader now turned to face Chris. He was a dark-skinned man with Gems spread throughout his hair. He smiled at Chris before announcing his scripted lines, similar to Viola.

"Welcome Challenger! I am Grant, the Cyllage City gym leader, and also the founder of this gym. I assume you've come to battle?"

Chris nodded.

"Then let the battle commence!" exclaimed Grant.

Chris ordered in Tyrunt, and Grant began with Cranidos. Tyrunt cracked its neck, ready for its first battle in millions of years. Cranidos had the speed advantage, however.

"Cranidos, Zen-Headbutt!" called out Grant. Cranidos lowered its already massive head, and began charging directly into Tyrunt. The dinosaur Pokemon tried dodging it, but Cranidos had blinded Tyrunt with the light from Zen-Headbutt. The move landed, launching Tyrunt backwards multiple feet behind Chris onto its back, but the Pokemon used momentum to put itself back on its feet. Chris had no clue on any possible move for Tyrunt, but he knew one move the Pokemon had to have.

"Tyrunt, Bite!" called out Chris. Tyrunt charged towards Cranidos, opening its massive jaws before biting down on the body of the opposing Pokemon, which dealt massive amounts of damage. As Tyrunt returned to Chris' side, Grant was seen whispering to Cranidos.

"Tyrunt's are prideful Pokemon...Taunt it, it'll get him off balance."

Cranidos began taunting Tyrunt, much to Chris' dismay.

"Again, Zen-Headbutt!" called out Grant. This time; however, Tyrunt began charging directly at Cranidos, angry that it was disrespected. A green aura surrounded Tyrunt's head as it charged forth, a blinding white light surrounded Cranidos. A boom echoed through the stadium as the two collided, and when the light faded, both Pokemon had fainted.

Both trainers returned their fainted Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Grant then sent out his last remaining Pokemon, Onix. Immediately the wave of memories returned to Chris. Despite this, he tried still remained calm, trying to set an example for his Pokemon. He ordered in Eevee, whom was determined to beat the rock snake.

"Eevee, Bite!" called out Chris nervously. Eevee charged towards Onix, circling the rock snake before finally biting down on its tail, the move doing minimal to injure Onix.

"Onix, Rock Tomb!" responded Grant. Onix roared, causing a group of rocks to fall directly on top of Eevee. Like in the past, the move caused Eevee to faint. Chris returned Eevee to its Pokeball. Seeing its friend fail again angered Beedrill, so much so that the Pokemon ordered itself into battle. Now Onix had the speed advantage.

"Rock Tomb, Onix!" Onix once again roared, causing a barrage of rocks to fall directly towards Beedrill; however, the bee Pokemon dodged each one swiftly, flying higher and higher until it reached the ceiling of the colosseum. The bug Pokemon now began circling Onix before finally jabbing directly into Onix's neck with its stinger. Onix howled, twisting its body which caused the bug to lose control. Beedrill flew backwards, but Onix had whipped its tail, slamming Beedrill directly into the ground on Chris' side. His ace Pokemon had fainted with Onix roaring in the distance. Deja-vu had repeated itself.

Or so it would've.

Chris turned around seeing his last three remaining Pokemon, Fletchinder, Aron, and Froakie. Chris ordered in Froakie, giving him the type advantage. The frog Pokemon agreed, but was terrified of Onix.

"Water Gun, Froakie!" called out Chris. Froakie tried to blast Onix with water, but the Pokemon was too frightened to garner the strength. Now it was Onix's turn to attack.

"Dragon Tail, Onix!" Onix swung its tail directly at Froakie, injuring the Pokemon severely. After the attack, Froakie began running away from the fight. The Pokemon was now halfway from Chris and the door out of the gym. Froakie paused as everyone stared at it. It remembered the words Chris said to him at night in Santalune City.

"Believe in yourself as much as I do."

Froakie turned around now hopping back into the battlefield, a brave look on the timid Pokemon's face. With each hop it took, a brighter aura surrounded the Pokemon. By the time the Pokemon returned to Chris' side, Froakie had evolved. The newly evolved Frogadier no longer feared Onix, but merely focused on itself and Chris. He smiled at Frogadier, then calling out an order.

"Water Gun!"

The Pokemon now garnered enough energy to blast a direct beam of water at Onix, damaging the Pokemon severely, but it was still in fighting condition.

"Onix, Rock Tomb!" Onix's roar caused a barrage of rocks to fall, but Frogadier avoided each. The frog Pokemon hoped from falling rock to falling rock, before throwing what seemed to be bubble shurikens from its bubble scarf. The shurikens, upon impact, caused Onix to faint and for the battle to come to an end.

With the battle over, Grant walked over to Chris, congratulating him and handing him the second gym badge in the Kalos region. Chris took the badge eagerly.

"Finally," he thought to himself. "Finally…finally...finally"

Immediately afterwards, Chris exited the gym, returning to the Pokemon Center to heal his three fainted Pokemon. Once they were fully healed, Chris exited the Pokemon Center. He leaned on the exterior of the Center, pulling out his phone as the cyclists continued to pass by.

"So the next gym is in Shalour City…And she majors in fighting types…"

Chris' Pokemon surrounded him.

"Alright, so Route's 10 and 11, then Reflection Cave, and then were in Shalour City… Can't be longer than that first trip to Cyllage."

He then turned to all six of his Pokemon.

"Let's go."


	12. Chapter 11: Sins of the King

Route 10 differentiated from the coastlines of Route 8. It was a direct pathway, with strange, bone-white stones engulfing the route. There must've been thousands of them. Chris approached one of the stones, focusing on the upper tip of the stone. He raised his right arm, clearing a patch of dirt at the top of it. Once it cleared, Chris took a step back.

"Jesus," he mumbled to himself. His Pokemon stared up at him, curiously.

"It's a tombstone," he said quietly. "All of them...they're all tombstones." Despite being newly evolved, Frogadier was shivering with fear. Chris' revelation was cut short when he saw a man dressed in a red suit with red hair and red shades. The man stared at the tombstones similar to Chris for a long period of time, then pulling out a phone, mumbling something that Chris couldn't hear. Shortly after, he took off, heading north towards Geosenge Town. Chris kept a good distance from him, but followed him nonetheless; he was easy to see in the crowd of passing by trainers.

Now in Geosenge Town, the red-haired man immediately dashed towards the northwest corner of the town. Chris got closer to him, hiding in a nearby bush. At the northwest corner of the town was a single rock with a similar shade as the tombstones. The man in red approached the rock, tapping the right side of it gently, which caused the front of the rock to collapse, revealing a secret doorway. As the man entered it, the doors closed, and the rocks arose, hiding the secret door and the man completely.

"What are they planning," thought Chris to himself.

"These are the same people Charlotte told me to avoid, but...why?" he continued to think to himself.

"Didn't expect to see you like this," said a voice behind Chris. The man's deep tone frightened Chris initially. As he turned around, he noticed it was Lysandre.

"Lysandre...," said Chris quietly. The orange-haired man reached his long arm out to Chris, bringing the seventeen year old to his feet.

"I don't know why you were in a bush," he began. Chris responded quickly.

"Well I was looking for a certain Poke-"

"You don't have to tell me kid," said Lysandre with a smile. He stared at Chris silently for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Did you just get here, Chris?"

He nodded.

"You mind if I show you something then?" asked Lysandre, gripping Chris' arm tightly. He agreed, being dragged uncomfortably by the spiky-haired man.

Lysandre brought Chris to the center of the town, presenting to him three bone-white pillars, all three of which curled inwards to create a, "claw" shape.

"Magnificent isn't it?" asked Lysandre.

Chris agreed with him.

"Amazing how through destruction, beauty prevails. There is an elegance to everything y'know Chris."

Chris slowly began to back away from Lysandre.

"Do you know the tale of the first Kalos King?" said Lysandre turning to him. He looked as if he were possessed.

Chris shook his head as Lysandre cleared his throat.

"3,000 years ago, a war began right where we're standing. Pokemon from all over the region sided with one of two parties before attacking one another. The King searched for ways to end this conflict, but neither side could come to an agreement. The fighting continued for years, decades even. When the King had found out that his very own Pokemon, a blue Floette with a black rose had been killed while venturing through his gardens, he went into an outrage. The man had conjured the powers of life and death, using there almighty powers to destroy both sides of the war with death, and reviving his Floette from the dead with the power of life."

Chris stood silently, gathering all the information.

"So...what makes where we're standing so special?" asked Chris. Lysandre smirked at the question.

"Where we stand...this is where the powers of life and death lay," he whispered.

"So what happened to the King?" asked Chris.

"The King...well the King suffered a fate worse than death...he was given immortal life."

"How is that...By who?" asked Chris. Lysandre shrugged his shoulders.

"It could've been God...I don't know...I've studied this tale since I was your age and I could never figure out what punished him..."

"So, he's still alive as of now?"

"That's what I've heard," responded Lysandre with a smirk on his face.

The two silently stared at the three pillars for a while. After around twenty seconds, Lysandre broke the silence.

"My, my, your Pokemon look exhausted!" he said. "Maybe they should rest up."

Chris agreed with him.

"You're right, they do deserve to rest up. They beat Grant back in Cyllage."

"Grant's no joke," responded Lysandre. "Anyways, rest up Chris. You got a long journey ahead of you. Just be careful, and don't do anything too stupid." He pat Chris on the head before leaving. Once he was gone, Chris took Lysandre's advice, resting his Pokemon in a nearby log cabin. He thought about staying there for the night, but his curiosity continued to nag at him.

"I need to see that rock, I gotta see if I can get inside," thought Chris to himself. He'd set the plan up while his Pokemon rested up. He would strike at midnight.

Nighttime had now fallen upon Geosenge Town, and Chris' plan began to unfold. He snuck out of the Pokemon Center, venturing to the north west corner of the town, where the single rock stood. He hopped into the same bush as from earlier.

Chris gazed at the rock, waiting for someone to either enter or exit the rock. Soon enough, it began pouring, thunder following shortly after. Half an hour had past, and Chris decided to cut it quits and just head back to the Pokemon Center. As he turned his head, Chris was clubbed in the head by a blunt object, knocking him out.

Immediately, Chris' Pokemon sprung out of their Pokeballs ready to fight the hidden person. The person sent in a Houndoom. The hound Pokemon stared at all six of Chris' Pokemon. It aimed at Beedrill first, firing a flamethrower which caused the bug Pokemon to faint immediately. Houndoom then surrounded Frogadier in a Dark Pulse, causing it to faint. Fletchinder landed its aerial ace attack successfully, but on its second attempt, Houndoom caught its wing, slamming the bird Pokemon viciously into the ground. Aron tried charging towards Houndoom, but the hound torched Aron before it could touch Houndoom. Tyrunt landed one rock move successfully, but Houndoom followed up, surrounding Tyrunt in a poisonous mist causing the Pokemon to faint. All of Chris' Pokemon that flew out of their Pokeballs had fainted, except one. Houndoom's fangs began to glow red as the Pokemon walked closer and closer to Chris' body. Houndoom opened its jaws moving closer and closer. At that moment, his last Pokemon rose from its Pokeball. Eevee charged at Houndoom, protecting its trainer.

Houndoom dodged Eevee's tackle, then biting down on Eevee aggressively and thrusting it back at Chris. The rain had now cleared and a full moon emerged. Eevee looked directly at it, and then roared at Houndoom, its voice much darker and aggressive than before. Suddenly, Eevee's fur began to darken. Its brown eyes began shifting to a sharp yellow. A bright aura began surrounding Eevee.

Once it faded, the newly evolved Eevee roared louder than it had ever done before. This caused the townspeople to awake, a crowd approaching Eevee and the Houndoom rapidly. The trainer called off Houndoom, now walking away, the sound of high heels clicking with the cobblestone pathway. The trainer was gone, and the townspeople had found Chris' body. By the time they arrived, Eevee had fled.

Chris woke up in a hospital around midday the next day. Upon opening his eyes, he saw Serena was sitting in a chair to his right staring at him nervously. Chris groaned as arched his upper body forward, but Serena urged he stay laying down.

"You have a concussion, you should rest."

"W-What happened?" asked Chris.

"You were hit in the head," responded Serena. Chris felt the back of his head, feeling the bandages wrapped tightly around it. Despite her request, Chris still continued to force himself up.

"Rest," she urged.

"Serena...," responded Chris quietly. "Where are my Pokemon?"

Serena was silent, nervous to answer.

"Where are they Serena?" asked Chris again with a more aggressive tone.

"They were found pretty badly beaten up, right next to you."

"That doesn't answer my question, Serena. Where are they?"

"Next room over," said Serena quietly.

Chris began rising to his feet, but couldn't. Serena had placed him back into the bed gently.

"Thank you," mumbled Chris quietly.

Chris had spent the rest of the day laying in bed, healing up. At around eight at night, he arched his upper body forward, this time getting out of bed on his own. He used a nearby broom to help him stay on his feet. Upon entering the room, he saw his Pokemon resting. Beedrill lay on a stretcher with its belly up, a distinct burn visible on its chest. Aron had suffered a similar burn, with marks on its head. Fletchinder's wing was fractured. The only two that were conscious were Frogadier and Tyrunt, whom approached Chris instantly. Chris raised his index finger, counting all his Pokemon.

"One, two, three, four, five...Where's Eevee?" he mumbled.

"Eevee, where's my Eevee!" shouted Chris alerting multiple doctors. Immediately, he was returned to his bed, where he continued to repeat that same question.

"Nobody saw your Eevee…," responded one of the doctors.

"That's impossible! Eevee has never left my side for the seven years I've known that Pokemon…Why would it leave now?" The doctor shrugged his shoulders.

Chris struggled to sleep that night, but his concussion had managed to clear up slightly. At six in the morning, Chris rose to his feet again. He made a good impression to show to the doctors that he was alright, and he was thus discharged. Immediately after being released, Chris gathered his team, all of which were now conscious. Chris stared at his Pokemon, regret visible in his eyes. He stared at the burns and cuts they received, all for him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly with tears rolling down his cheeks. "I never wanted this to happen to you guys..."

Both he and his Pokemon were silent.

"Maybe Charlotte was right...maybe I should just look the other way...not do anything stupid."

Immediately Beedrill rushed towards him staring at him angrily. Chris stared into the Pokemon's red eyes, remembering the words his grandfather had told him seven years ago.

"You didn't give up..."

Chris stared down at the floor remembering Eevee.

"You're right Beedrill," said Chris. "We can't give up now, but this is dangerous, and all of you know that?" All his Pokemon stared at him confidently except for Tyrunt, whom was staring at Chris' Pokemon quizzically.

"Alright...let's go get Eevee back, and then...revenge," said Chris with same confidence his Pokemon had.

Chris returned to the northwest corner of Geosenge Town, calling out Eevee's name, but there was no response. He called out one more time, but he began feeling exhausted. The symptoms of his concussion began to remerge. He began breathing heavily.

"I need to lie down," he mumbled. Chris ventured past the rock, heading north of it to find a small, crystal clear lake. He lay down on the grass next to the lake, staring up at the sky. Upon staring at it, the landscape around him became completely silent. Chris closed his eyes feeling the wind blow past him gently. He lay relaxed for multiple minutes. This sense of calmness disappeared when Chris heard the grass rustling in the distance.

From the rustling grass emerged a black, feline Pokemon with gold rings around its body. The Pokemon approached the lake, sipping it before staring into it. Upon seeing its reflection, the Pokemon splashed the water viciously, gaining Chris' attention.

"Eevee," said Chris quietly. The Pokemon didn't respond. Chris then remembered the chart which held all of Eevee's possible evolutions. He stared at the yellow rings draped over the Pokemon's black fur.

"Umbreon," called out Chris softly.

Umbreon turned its attention to Chris, now walking slowly towards him. Behind Chris were all five of his Pokemon staring bewildered at Umbreon, especially Beedrill. Umbreon now sat directly in front of Chris, the bee Pokemon advanced in front of Chris, staring at its long time friend. Beedrill extended its arm, grazing Umbreon's black fur.

"Why'd you run away?" asked Chris in the background. Umbreon looked at the black fur Beedrill was stroking, despising it.

"You're ashamed of yourself, aren't you?" asked Chris. Umbreon was silent. Chris now lay down in the grass again, his headache getting harsher the more he stood up.

"Umbreon…," he began. "You always wanted to be an Espeon didn't you?"

Umbreon stared at Chris as he continued to speak.

"In life…we don't always get the things we want. We're mad, we hate that we can't get what we want…, but in the end the things we wanted were never meant to be. You never became an Espeon, no, but that's okay. What's wrong with being an Umbreon? I like the black look...It's sleek and the yellow is pretty cool as well."

Umbreon began to smile.

"You were always a better physical attacker than a special attacker as well…Your favorite move has always been bite…so...really, what's wrong with being an Umbreon?"

The Pokemon looked at its fur once more, taking in what Chris said. Umbreon then advanced closer to Chris, huddling up next to him. Chris began petting the Pokemon.

"Be proud of who you are," said Chris staring at Umbreon.

Chris returned to the Pokemon Center with Umbreon, reuniting his team. He rested for about an hour and a half, which helped to eliminate his headache for good. It was now two in the afternoon when Chris left the Pokemon Center, heading east which had taken him to Route 11. It was a short Route which connected Geosenge Town with Reflection Cave, which lay at the end of the route. Chris followed the route, entering Reflection Cave.

Upon entering, Chris immediately took notice of the mirror like crystals embedded in the wall, which spread throughout the cave sporadically. Eventually, Chris found a crystal which stretched from the floor to the ceiling of the cave. He stood directly in front of it, seeing his reflection along with his Pokemon. He smiled at the sight of it before continuing through the cave.

Half an hour later, Chris found a direct path to the exit, leaving behind a trial of defeated trainers in the cave. The exit would lead him to Shalour City. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a horde of Onix began charging down the cave in Chris' direction. Though initially scared of the Pokemon, Chris stared at the horde confidently.

"Aron, take the first," he called out.

"Tyrunt, take out the back one there."

"Beedrill, strike when they're busy."

"Fletchinder, create a firespin on that one."

"Frogadier…, you know what to do."

"And Umbreon…"

The Pokemon looked directly up at him.

"…Bite…"


	13. Chapter 12: Mega What?

Chris reached the end of the cave, a pile of fainted Onix trailed behind him. His Pokemon were completely unscathed from the battles. Just before he left, Chris found a small stone resembling the sun next to another floor to ceiling crystal.

"Huh…, a sun stone," he said to himself. Chris placed the stone in his backpack before heading out. Just before he did, Chris gazed at the mirror where the stone was, but this one was different. Chris' reflection began to alter, two shadows splitting from his body. The two bodies morphed, creating the shape of a single woman. When Chris focused on the figure, it began to shift, changing into a different woman before reverting back to the previous one. As time passed, one of the female figures was standing strong, but when the reflection showed the other woman, she began falling, quickly. Eventually the shadow of the woman split up, with two women now being visible. The woman that stood strong lay to Chris' right, while the other lay on the left. Chris stared as one leaned on him while the other lay on the ground, motionless. In the end, a large black 'Y' shape emerged from her body, a single sharp blue eye staring at Chris, horrifying him. Immediately, he sprinted out of the cave.

Chris followed a cobblestone pathway which had now led him into Shalour City. The city, like Cyllage, was built on the coast with cobblestone walkways mazing through the city. Hikers were a common sight here, tourists as well, especially because the Shalour Market was open. Chris decided to take the opportunity and stock up on supplies such as food and water while the market was there, trying to ignore what he had just seen in the cave.

Once he exited the market, Chris was greeted to the sight of an elegant tower that was laying on the ocean. It was outlined in a red-brick wall, with a bright white quartz design streaming up the tower. A single cobblestone pathway built into the beach connected the tower to the rest of the town. It looked incomplete, as if half of it was destroyed, but it added to the aesthetic of the building. Enthralled by the sight, Chris advanced towards it.

The interior of the tower was surrounded by a single spiral stairwell which connected to multiple rooms on the upper floors. At the center of the tower lay a statue of the Pokemon Lucario, which stretch to the top of the tower. Shortly after gazing at these views, Chris was greeted by an elderly woman. She stared at him coldly before glancing at his Pokemon, specifically Aron. She then smiled.

"You have a very strong Pokemon with you."

"Thank you…?" responded Chris skeptically.

"Amazing tower, isn't it?" she began.

Chris agreed with her.

"Yeah, it caught my eye when I was at the market," said Chris. She smiled before continuing to speak.

"Built by the ancients of Kalos…over 3000 years ago. It's home to the birth of a power that forms between a trainer and its Pokemon."

"Yeah? What's that?" asked Chris.

"..Mega Evolution...," she said with excitement.

Chris raised an eyebrow, but she had become completely silent, preparing to change the subject.

"You're one of Sycamore's assistants right?"

"Huh?"

"Professor Sycamore said one of his assistants were on their way here."

"Oh no, no I'm not an assistant."

"Ah… I see, I must be looking for someone else," she said coldly.

"He'll do just fine," said a female voice behind Chris.

As Chris turned around, in the distance he saw her, with her typical smirk. Charlotte was no longer wearing a single black dress, now sporting a teal top, and pink skirt. She was leaning on a turtle shell which was much bigger than Wartortle's he'd seen way back in Glittering Cave.

"Ms. Sycamore, your father said specifically his-"

"I know what my father says," responded Charlotte cutting off the elderly woman.

Tell you what Chris," said Charlotte holding out an empty bracelet. "You beat me and I give you this."

"Ms. Sycamore!" exclaimed the elderly woman. "You can't gamble such a valiant treasure like that for a simple battle!"

"What is it?" asked Chris naively.

The elderly woman looked as if she were insulted.

"That bracelet holds the Mega Stone!"

"Mega what?"

"The Mega Stone!" exclaimed the elderly woman again. The stone is what enables a trainer to Mega Evolve their Pokemon. It's not some novelty item you two!"

"You win…, its yours," said Charlotte ignoring the elderly woman. She still had the same smirk, but now Chris began smirking.

"Alright… you got yourself a deal."

Chris ordered in Beedrill, Charlotte sent in Jigglypuff. Immediately, she regretted the move, seeing as Chris had the type advantage, and the speed advantage.

"Beedrill, Poison Jab!" ordered Chris.

Beedrill outlined its stingers with poison before charging towards Jigglypuff, but the puffball Pokemon dodged, inflating itself to fly directly above Beedrill's attack.

"Rollout, Jigglypuff!" called out Charlotte.

Immediately, Jigglypuff morphed into a ball as strong as rock, charging head first into Beedrill, and hitting successfully.

Annoyed by the attack, Beedrill charged towards Jigglypuff trying to hit it, without Chris' ordered. Jigglypuff was able to dodge every attack swiftly.

"Beedrill!" called out Chris getting the Pokemon to return to its senses. Beedrill returned to Chris' side, as well as returning to a calmer state.

"Jigglypuff, Rollout!" called out Charlotte. Jigglypuff rolled towards Beedrill at a much faster pace this time, but Beedrill stayed where it was.

"Patience," said Chris quietly. Beedrill waited patiently for Jigglypuff to come close enough. Once it did, Beedrill flew directly upward and then directly down, jabbing into Jigglypuff with Poison Jab. The effectiveness of the move caused Jigglypuff to faint instantly.

Despite the one on one victory, Charlotte still had the same smirk as before. Chris knew he had to beat her Wartortle eventually.

Charlotte returned Jigglypuff to its Pokeball, then sending out her next Pokemon, Amaura. Beedrill still had the speed advantage, and attacked first.

"Beedrill, Poison Jab!" demanded Chris. Beedrill charged towards Amaura with its stingers engulfed in poison. Amaura looked back to Charlotte, intimdated. Charlotte smiled gently at the Pokemon, assuring it things would be fine. Beedrill jabbed directly into Amaura dealing massive amounts of damage, but Amaura hadn't fainted from the attack.

"Amaura, Ice Beam!" called out Charlotte. Amaura arched its long neck backwards before firing a beam of ice directly at Beedrill. The bug Pokemon was taken aback by the move, unsure how to dodge it. Due to its indecision, the move landed causing Beedrill to faint.

Chris returned Beedrill to its Pokeball, then sending out Aron, a clear counter to Amaura's ice type. Despite this, Amaura now had the speed advantage.

"Ice Beam again!" she called out again. Amaura once again fired a direct beam of ice, but the attack was much less effective on Aron. The beam of ice shattered upon hitting Aron's outer steel shell.

"Iron Head, Aron!" ordered Chris. Aron pawed the ground, charging directly after Amaura. Amaura tried firing off another ice beam, but Aron broke right through it, slamming head first into Amaura knocking the ice Pokemon out. Once Amaura fainted, Aron began jumping for joy, loving the battle.

Charlotte returned Amaura to its Pokeball, now sending out Gloom. The grass type Pokemon now had the speed advantage.

"Giga Drain, Gloom!" demanded Charlotte. In a split second, Aron had all of its energy drained by Gloom causing the Pokemon to faint.

Chris returned the steel Pokemon to its Pokeball. At his side, Chris noticed Fletchinder nudging him, wanting to battle. Chris refused, staring at the Pokemon's fractured wing.

"Your wing…," he whispered. Fletchinder didn't care, wanting to fight and toughen itself. Chris stared at his Pokemon.

"For something like this? You want to harm yourself for something as little as this?"

Fletchinder stared at Chris annoyed. The Pokemon just wanted to battle, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Seeing this, Chris sent in Fletchinder.

The bird Pokemon tried flying, but to no effect, its wing still damaged from before.

"Fire Spin, Fletchinder!" ordered Chris. Fletchinder surrounded Gloom in a cyclone of fire, but the move did very little to harm Gloom.

"Sludge, Gloom!" demanded Charlotte. Gloom fired off a poisonous concoction at Fletchinder, severely damaging the bird Pokemon. Frustrated by its inability to fly, Fletchinder searched for advantages over Gloom. The bird now looked back to Chris.

"Flame charge?" he whispered curiously. The Pokemon nodded, as Chris repeated it loudly. Fletchinder slowly began speeding towards Gloom, engulfing itself in flames. Once it gained enough momentum, Fletchinder began gliding towards Gloom, the bird completely surrounded in fire. Gloom fainted immediately after contact. Charlotte's smirk slowly began to fade.

Charlotte returned Gloom to its Pokeball, now sending out her final Pokemon, Blastoise, the fully evolved form of Squirtle. Chris' eyes shot wide open at the sight of it.

"That's not a Wartortle," groaned Chris.

Charlotte wasted no time calling out her order.

"Blastoise, Water Gun!" Blastoise lowered its body, aiming one of its two cannons at Fletchinder, firing a blast of water strong enough to cause Fletchinder to faint immediately.

As Chris returned Fletchinder to its Pokeball, Tyrunt forced itself out of its Pokeball wanting to fight. Tyrunt wanted to gain the glory of taking down the giant turtle, and stood by Chris' side.

"This isn't a good idea," said Chris to Tyrunt, but the young tyrant ignored Chris.

"Blastoise, Water gun!" ordered Charlotte again. Blastoise once again lowered its cannon, firing a blast of water at Tyrunt. The tyrant was close to fainting, but due to its dragon type, water's damage was much less effective.

"Rock Throw, Tyrunt!" Tyrunt stomped its foot into the ground, forging a rock before hauling it directly at Blastoise, the rock striking it directly in the face, infuriating it. Without Charlotte's order, Blastoise lowered its cannon once more, blasting a geyser's worth of water at Tyrunt. The little tyrant schreeched like a little girl as it sprinted away from the water. The water inevitably caught up to Tyrunt, whom fainted shortly after the move landed.

Chris now turned to see his remaining Pokemon. He thought of Umbreon, but he decided with his only other remaining Pokemon, Frogadier, hoping its type resistance could give Chris enough time to weaken Blastoise. Upon sending out the frog Pokemon, Chris called out his order instantly.

"Frogadier, Smack Down!" Frogadier summoned a rock similar to how Tyrunt did, hauling it at Blastoise, once again hitting it in the face. Blastoise looked furious after the attack.

"Bite, Blastoise!" ordered Charlotte. Blastoise regained composure, now chasing after Frogadier, attempting to bite the Pokemon, but Frogadier was too quick for Blastoise to catch. Angered, Blastoise fired a water gun at Frogadier, but the Pokemon caught the water mid-air, shifting it into a shuriken only to fire it back at Blastoise.

"Smack Down, again!" called out Chris. Frogadier continued firing rocks at Blastoise, inciting more and more rage within the Pokemon.

"Composure, Blastoise!" demanded Charlotte, whose smirks was completely gone.

"Now Frogadier, U-Turn!" Frogadier charged toward Blastoise, pounced on it quickly before returning to its Pokeball. Chris then sent out his next Pokemon.

Umbreon was now ordered in by Chris.

"Water Gun, Blastoise!" called out Charlotte instantly. Blastoise now fired both cannons at Umbreon, but the move did little to nothing to Umbreon, whose defenses had become incredible upon evolution.

"Bite, Umbreon!" Umbreon charged towards Blastoise, circling the tortoise before pouncing on the Pokemon, biting down on the back of its neck. The move had caused Blastoise to flinch briefly, giving Umbreon another opportunity to attack.

"Umbreon, Take-Down!" Umbreon obeyed, charging quickly at Blastoise, gaining momentum. Umbreon slammed directly into Blastoise, sending the tortoise flying multiple feet behind Charlotte.

The battle was over. Umbreon stared at its black fur, proud of what it had accomplished.

Charlotte returned her ace Pokemon to its Pokeball. She was staring at the ground for a moment, her smirk gone. When she raised her head again, she was smiling.

"Well...You won fair and square…," she said.

Charlotte then removed the bracelet from her arm, handing it to him.

"Figure its the least I can do for someone who saved my life."

Chris stared at her, blushing.

"Your damn right," he thought.

He took the bracelet from her, slipping it onto his wrist. Umbreon stared up at him, smiling brightly. Chris rewarded the Pokemon by petting it. Charlotte couldn't help but smile seeing him and Umbreon together. It wasn't a smirk, but a genuine smile…, but she snapped herself out of it.

"Well… I uh… better be going," she began. She no longer had a smile, not even a smirk.

"Oh… but the other assistant isn't here yet," said the elderly lady in the distance.

"It'll be a while before she gets here, trust me," responded Charlotte exiting the tower. Though Chris ignored her leaving initially, he noticed something off about her, and began chasing after her.

"Charlotte!" called out Chris. She was halfway down the beach pathway.

"I already gave you the bracelet, what else do you want from me?" she said with a smirk returning to her face, but Chris could tell it wasn't sincere.

"Charlotte…I can't just ignore everything that's happened…at Glittering Cave...at the hospital."

Charlotte turned away from him, her smirk disappeared.

"It'd be better if you did," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Why can't things just go back to the way they were? Why can't you just forget what happened there?"

"Charlotte…"

"Please Chris…forget what happened."

"Charlotte, just tell me…what's going on."

She breathed deeply.

"I'm trying to protect you…you idiot." Her voice sounded as if she were beginning to tear up.

"Charlotte," mumbled Chris.

"Please just forget about it," she said. A tear visible on her cheek.

"Charlotte…these people are dangerous I know..."

Chris looked at Beedrill's Pokeball, remembering the burn the Pokemon received defending him.

"They've hurt me...they've hurt my Pokemon-"

"They won't anymore as long as you just stay out of there way," said Charlotte desperately.

"And then what!?" he exclaimed. "Charlotte...I can't just sit back and watch these people do whatever the hell they're doing. I'm not gonna turn a blind eye..."

Charlotte lowered her head in defeat, now walking away from him. Before she could advance any further, Chris called out her name one more time.

"What?" she responded annoyed. Chris handed her the Sun Stone.

"I found this in Reflection Cave. If you use it on Gloom…it'll evolve into a very beautiful Pokemon, at least my grandfather says."

"Thank you," she mumbled as she walked away. Once Chris was out of sight, Charlotte thought of throwing away the stone in a nearby trash can, but ultimately, she decided to keep it.

The sun began setting behind Chris. Charlotte was well out of his sight, and thus, Chris ventured back into Shalour City and into the Pokemon Center, specifically. Once nighttime, his Pokemon fell asleep but Chris was still awake, reminiscing of all that had happened today. He lay on his bed, staring at the bracelet, a bright, rainbow colored jewel at placed at the center of it. Even in the dark, the stone lit up.

"A bond between a trainer and his Pokemon," whispered Chris to himself, remembering the words of the elderly woman. He also remembered how much attention she was giving to Aron. He then turned to look beneath his bed, seeing Aron asleep on a pillow. Curiously, Chris tapped the stone at the center of the bracelet, but nothing happened. Shortly after, Chris slipped the bracelet back onto his wrist and fell asleep.

It was the next morning.

Chris trained with his Pokemon, starting at eight in the morning and ending at ten in the morning. After training, Chris gave his Pokemon their second breakfast. Around noon of that same day, Chris ventured to the northwest of the city to go to the Shalour City gym. Upon entering, Chris realized the gym was an indoor skating park. He clumsily made his way through the park, finally reaching the back of the building where the gym leader lay. As Chris entered the Colosseum, he could see her training with three Pokemon. Immediately, she turned around to see Chris, focusing on the Mega Bracelet he had on.

"You must be one of Sycamore's assistants," she asked.

"Uh…, sorry I'm not."

"No? How'd you get that bracelet then?" asked the gym leader.

"What this? The professor's daughter gave it to me."

"Is that so? Well you're still looking to challenge the gym right?"

Chris nodded.

"Well I'm not gonna reject a battle opportunity. Anyways, I'm Korrina, Shalour City's Gym Leader! Let's get this show going!"

Korrina ordered in Pangoro, Chris ordered in Beedrill. At this point, Chris realized how frail his team was to fighting type attacks. Beedrill was one of two Pokemon on his team that resisted fighting types. Beedrill also had the speed advantage.

"Beedrill, Poison Jab!" ordered Chris. Beedrill circled around Pangoro before plunging all three of its stingers directly into Pangoro doing a fair amount of damage, but Pangoro's fur was too thick for Beedrill to induce poison. Now Pangoro began to attack.

"Pangoro, Slash!" Pangoro's claws sharpened as the Pokemon charged towards Beedrill. The bug Pokemon tried dodging the attack, but Pangoro stretched its arms out, entrapping Beedrill. Pangoro then slashed Beedrill doing large amounts of damage to Beedrill. Despite the large amount of damage the attack did, Beedrill still looked ready to fight. Chris noticed the Pokemon sharpening its stingers, making an X-shape. Chris then called out an order.

"Beedrill, X-Scissor!" Beedrill reacted quickly, hovering towards Pangoro and slashing an X-shape into the chest of the Pokemon, causing Pangoro to faint.

Korrina returned the fainted bear to its Pokeball, then sending out her next Pokemon, Hawlucha, whom had now given Korrina the speed advantage.

"Hawlucha, Aerial Ace!" she called out. Hawlucha flew directly upwards, then swooping down towards the bug Pokemon. After contact, Beedrill fainted.

Chris looked at his Pokeballs. He thought of sending out Frogadier, but he knew she still had one Pokemon remaining besides Hawlucha, and he needed to preserve Frogadier.

Chris decided to send in Tyrunt. The small dinosaur looking back at Chris, terrified of battling Hawlucha.

"You got this," stated Chris to Tyrunt. Tyrunt continued to whine.

"C'mon, you're the king of Kalos, Tyrunt! Act like it!"

It was as if a switch went off in Tyrunt. Rather than being terrified, the small dinosaur gained a fiery look, ready to prove something to Chris. Hawlucha still had the speed advantage and attacked first.

"Hawlucha, Sky Uppercut!" she ordered. Hawlucha charged towards Tyrunt prepped to uppercut the dinosaur. Once close enough, Hawlucha charged its fist upward, but Tyrunt countered, biting down on Hawlucha's arm completely, causing the Pokemon to scream. Hawlucha proceeded to attack Tyrunt's large head, but the Pokemon refused to let go of Hawlucha's arm. The small dinosaur then began stomping on the ground, causing multiple small rocks to form, all of which were hauled at Hawlucha, causing the flying Pokemon to faint. Once it had fainted, Tyrunt released Hawlucha as Korrina returned the flying Pokemon to its Pokeball. Tyrunt cheered and boasted to Chris.

Korrina now sent out her final Pokemon, Lucario.

"Lucario, Metal Claw!" she demanded immediately. Lucario speeded towards Tyrunt, slashing the tyrant harshly with its claws, causing the Pokemon to faint immediately. It's victory was celebrated only briefly.

Chris returned Tyrunt to its Pokeball, then sending out Frogadier. This gave Chris the speed advantage.

"Frogadier, Water Gun!" Frogadier fired a direct blast of water at Lucario, the move doing little to damage Lucario.

"Force Palm, Lucario!" she ordered immediately after Frogadier's attack. Lucario rushed towards Frogadier, slamming its palm into the frog Pokemon dealing a large amount of damage. Frogadier still had enough energy despite the strong attack.

"Water Gun, again!" shouted Chris. Frogadier fired off another direct blast of water at Lucario, this time doing much more damage to the fighting Pokemon. In the distance, Chris could see Korrina smiling.

"That bracelet…," she said pointing at Chris' wrist. "You know how it works?"

Chris shook his head.

"Let me show you," she said raising her right arm. At the center of the glove on her right hand was the same stone that was in Chris' bracelet. Korrina tapped the stone. Immediately, a circle of rainbow colors surrounded Lucario for multiple seconds. Once it faded, Lucario had taken on a new form.

"Extremespeed, Lucario!" she called out confidently. Lucario speeded towards Frogadier at speeds impossible for Frogadier to match. Lucario's newly obtained strengths allowed it to easily defeat Frogadier in one attack.

Chris now looked at his remaining Pokemon. Aron urgently wanted to battle, but Chris refused to send in the Pokemon, seeing as it would just be beaten up without doing any damage back. He thought the same with Umbreon, but then there was Fletchinder that gave him the type advantage. Chris refused as well, worrying for the bird Pokemon's wing. Fletchinder grew energetic as Chris stared at it.

"No way," said Chris to the bird Pokemon. Fletchinder pleaded with Chris, whom continued to refuse. Fletchinder now stared at Chris angrily. It chirped loudly and angrily at him. The Pokemon would battle, and Chris could not convince the Pokemon otherwise.

With this being inevitable, Fletchinder entered the battle, but Lucario still had the speed advantage.

"Lucario, Extremespeed!" she called out. Once again, Lucario moved at blinding speeds, pouncing on Fletchinder without the Pokemon even seeing it. The move damaged Fletchinder severely, but the Pokemon still had a feisty look on it.

"Fletchinder, Flame Charge!" Fletchinder began charging towards Lucario, engulfing itself in flames. Upon contact, Lucario winced in pain from the attack as Fletchinder returned to Chris' side.

"Extremespeed, again!" Lucario once again speeded towards Fletchinder, but the bird Pokemon reacted quickly, surrounding its body in flames to back off Lucario; however, the flames began altering Fletchinder.

Its relatively sharp beak began to hook. Its wings grew in size, ripping the bandages off. Its talons sharpened, and the flame around it grew larger.

Fletchinder had evolved into its final stage, Talonflame. The falcon Pokemon let out a deafening screech at Lucario, whom roared back. Now, Talonflame had the speed advantage over Lucario.

"Aerial Ace!" ordered Chris. Talonflame flew directly upwards before swooping down at speeds much faster than Fletchinder did. The Pokemon could fly with ease after evolving. Talonflame's attacks began to build up, wearing Lucario down. Korrina couldn't think of an order in time before Lucario charged towards Talonflame on its own. The falcon kept its distance from Lucario, staring harshly at the Pokemon. Lucario fired a ball of energy at Talonflame, but missed. In response, Talonflame engulfed itself once again in flames, charging towards Lucario at speeds not even the Mega Pokemon could dodge. Talonflame impacted Lucario head first, sending the fighting Pokemon back towards the wall of the colosseum behind Korrina. The Pokemon had fainted, ending the battle.

Korrina returned Lucario to its Pokeball, the colosseum dead silent. She sighed before speaking to him.

"Congratulations on defeating the Shalour City gym." She seemed bitter from the loss. "As a reward for your victory, I present you, the challenger, with the Shalour City badge."

Korrina handed him the badge, an annoyed look on her face. Chris grabbed the badge and began to set off. Just before he left the gym, he heard Korrina speaking to herself.

"Why'd he get the bracelet? He doesn't even have a Pokemon that can Mega Evolve."

Chris looked to Aron's Pokeball.

"Maybe I do," he said to himself.

Once he left the gym, Chris returned to the Pokemon Center, healing all of his Pokemon. Immediately after, Chris' team surrounded Talonflame, cheering and applauding the newly evolved Pokemon. Talonflame basked in the glory while Chris stared at his phone.

"So Shalour is done," he mumbled to himself. He then scanned the map one more time before coming to a conclusion.

"Alright," he began, turning to his Pokemon. "So we just follow Route 12, and that'll take us to Coumarine City, where the next gym is."

Chris' Pokemon agreed with his plan, following him down Route 12.


	14. Chapter 13: Secrets in the Power Plant

Chris breezed through Route 12, battling a couple of trainers along the way, which helped to strengthen his own Pokemon. At around three in the afternoon, Chris arrived at Coumarine City. Like the previous cities, Coumarine was built directly next to the water. Coumarine in specific was a port city with multiple ships docked in the water. Chris looked at his phone, checking to see where the gym was. To his surprise, the city had another level to it only accessible through a monorail at the east side of the city. The monorail would take people from the base of the city, where the marina was, and take them through the mountains up to the upper part of the city, which is where the gym was.

"Eh… I'm in no rush," stated Chris upon learning this. "Might as well sight see."

Chris and his Pokemon ventured around the city for around ten minutes, until Chris' Talonflame acted unnaturally, flying away from him. The falcon Pokemon had seen another Talonflame circling in the air, and began flying towards it. As Chris' bird Pokemon did, the other Talonflame descended to the ground. Chris followed his own Talonflame which had led him to a red-haired man in a red-suit. Chris' Talonflame now returned to Chris' side as he stared at the man from a distance. The man in the red suit handed a small letter that was rolled up to his Talonflame. The bird Pokemon took the note, and began flying away to an unknown area, Chris' bird Pokemon planned on chasing after it, but Chris called off the bird Pokemon. The man dressed in red then checked his surroundings before venturing off into the city.

"Messenger birds? What the hell are they up to?" thought Chris. Curiosity began to eat him alive.

"God, what are they up to?" "Why does Charlotte want me to stop?" "Are they even doing anything dangerous?"

Chris grew frustrated with himself as he continued asking himself these questions.

"Should I just forget it?" he then asked himself. He stared at the man in the red suit walking away. He was heading in the opposite direction of the monorail, which Chris planned on taking.

"What will happen if I don't?"

These questions ran through Chris' mind with no definitive answer, but they did make half an hour monorail ride blow by. The upper half of the city was much more rural compared to the city beneath. Once he reached the new section of the city, Chris scanned all the buildings there. He then looked back at his phone and grew annoyed, sighing with frustration. At this moment, an elderly man approached Chris. He was riding on a Gogoat, a common Pokemon for transportation in Kalos.

"Having some trouble there son?" he asked.

"Yeah. Do you know where the Coumarine City Gym is?" asked Chris.

"Huh? What's that?"

"Do you know where the Coumarine City Gym is?" asked Chris much louder.

"Ah the gym… Oh its back down there," responded the man pointing to the bottom of the city.

"You gotta be kidding me," said Chris defeated.

"AHAHA, I'm just joking young buck. They're renovating it right now," he said with a smile. Chris noticed he had golden tooth right by his canine.

"Okay..., do you know when they'll be done?"

"Around August…," responded the elderly man. It was late June. The news killed Chris.

"Well what about the gym leader? He's gotta be around here somewhere. Maybe he'll just let me battle him outside the gym."

"I bet he would," responded the elderly man. "He's quite the generous and handsome man."

"You know him?" asked Chris naively.

"Know him!? I am the dashing gym leader!"

The elderly man proceeded to laugh.

"Oh…great, would you be willing to battle?"

"Ah no problem kid, let's battle right here on the street, nobody'll mind. I'm Ramos by the way," he said stretching his arm out.

"Chris."

The two shook hands as the battle began. Chris tossed his first Pokeball revealing Talonflame.

"Ah hell not that thing," said Ramos.

In just a few minutes, the battle had come to an end. Talonflame had charred all of Ramos' grass type Pokemon, including his Gogoat.

"Whenever a trainer comes by with that Pokemon… it's always a landslide," groaned Ramos.

"Well… you beat me fair and square so here you go, the fourth Kalos gym badge. I always keep a spare on me just in case of kids like you."

Chris held the badge to sky, the sun brightening it.

"So…you're halfway through the Kalos trial. How's it been so far?" asked Ramos.

"Uh…it's had its ups and downs…But mostly ups."

"Good to hear kid…, listen if you're ever thinking of staying in Coumarine City a while I recommend this place back at the marina. They have these delicious oysters that you gotta-"

Chris began to ignore Ramos, focusing all of his attention on the passing by man in a red suit. Upon passing by Chris, he accidentally bumped into Ramos.

"Sorry," he grunted.

Ramos squinted at the man in the red suit as he walked away.

"Crazy clothes am I right? Bunch of 'em have been zipping in through here."

"A bunch?" asked Chris instantly.

"Yeah…they seem to be heading south towards Route 13."

"Route 13, why? What's on Route 13?" asked Chris hectically.

"Jeez kid, calm down. They're just a bunch of fashonistas...Probably heading back to Lumiose for a fashion show."

Ramos laughed at his own joke, but Chris didn't.

"Alright…well thank you for the battle Ramos. I'll be sure to try those oysters sometime," said Chris.

"They're delicious…, and Chris! The next gym is in Lumiose City. Just take Route 13 directly south and you'll be there."

"Was already on my way. Take care Ramos!"

Chris waved to the elderly man as he headed south to Route 13.

The bright Coumarine City instantly turned to a dry landscape with ground type Pokemon running amuck. In the distance he could see the Lumiose Tower, but something was different. The tower wasn't as bright as it had always been. Chris remembered reading that the lights to the building never turned off. He then scanned Route 13, seeing a Power Plant at the western side of the route. He remembered the red-suited man traveling to Route 13, and wondered if they were responsible for this.

Chris traveled towards the Power Plant, all six of his Pokemon trailing behind him. Upon reaching it, a large steel door locked the building. As he peered through the window, he could see an unconscious man in worker attire laying on the concrete floor.

"Something's going on here," said Chris to his Pokemon. "And I can't just turn a blind eye to it." Chris now stared at Aron and Tyrunt specifically.

"Think you can bring the door down?" he asked.

Aron and Tyrunt looked at him as if they were being mocked. Immediately, the two rock types charged into the door, blowing the door down after just two hits.

The fall of the metal door echoed throughout the Power Plant. Upon entering the building, Chris checked the man's pulse. He was still alive but unconscious. Shortly after that, Chris ventured down the large stairwell leading him deeper into the Power Plant. As Chris reached the lower level, a hoard of Houndoom barked at him aggressively. Immediately, Beedrill sprung forward in front of Chris, wanting revenge for its burns, but it was little Aron that called out to Beedrill. Beedrill looked back at Aron, the small Pokemon stared at the bee confidently and then at Chris, the same look on its face. The Pokemon then advanced in front of Chris, with multiple Houndooms ready to pounce on it. Aron pawed the ground before charging directly into one of the Houndooms, creating an uproar amongst them. They began biting down harshly on Aron.

Now Beedrill charged directly at one of the Houndooms, jabbing at it with its stingers constantly until it fainted.

Umbreon followed up Beedrill, charging directly into another one of the Houndooms.

Tyrunt followed up Umbreon, biting down on Houndooms horns so harshly, they snapped.

Talonflame slashed at another, and Frogadier fired multiple blasts of water at Houndoom, but there was still one biting down viciously on Aron. The Pokemon began surrounding itself in a bright light, its armor hardening to unbreakable levels.

Aron had evolved into Lairon, shoving the Houndoom off of it, and then charging into it with its Iron Head causing the last of the hounds to faint. With all of the hounds down, Chris now advanced deeper into the Power Plant, patting Lairon on the head.

"Now...what the hell are you planning," said Chris to himself.

Chris entered the final room of the Power Plant. It was a large, dome-shaped room with two generators that strecthed to the ceiling like pillars. It was dim with the sounds of the generators booming through the empty dome. Inside this room were multiple red-suited men and women. Chris turned his attention to the right corner of the dome room, seeing multiple workers tied up.

"Hey!" he shouted to the group of red-suited men and women.

"What the hell's going on here!" demanded Chris. A woman with distinct purple hair stared at him harshly.

"You must've been the one causing all that ruckus," she said. "No matter...guards deal with him."

Multiple red-suited men and women tossed their Pokeballs revealing multiple Houndooms.

"You sure you wanna do this?" said Chris taunting the gang. "They already took out all your damn poodles."

She chuckled.

"Cocky little shit," she murmured. "Take him out," she then ordered. All the Houndooms charged at Chris, but his Pokemon encircled him, defeating the onslaught of hounds.

Bodies of fainted Houndoom's surrounded Chris. Despite this, the purple haired woman didn't fret.

"Now who the hell are you?" demanded Chris.

"We...we….are Team Flare, and we will not displease our master because of some teenager!" exclaimed the purple haired woman.

"Then fight me then!" ordered Chris.

She laughed at him.

"And what do I have to gain from that?"

"So you're afraid?" he said continuing to taunt her.

"Enough of this…Charlotte…deal with him."

Chris' heart sank when he heard that.

"Charlotte…," he mumbled. Behind the purple haired woman was Charlotte, wearing the black dress that she wore when they first met each other. She was motionless.

There was brief period of silence amongst the two.

"So this is why you wanted me to forget huh?" he said staring at her. Charlotte stared at the concrete floor beneath her.

"Chris, I..."

"These people hurt my Pokemon! They burned my Beedrill! And you were working with them all along?"

She continued to stare directly downwards.

"LOOK AT ME!" shouted Chris. A single tear fell down her cheek. The purple haired woman laughed at the two.

"Awe...poor Romeo had his heart broken."

Lairon roared at her, instantly silencing her.

"Well Charlotte...what're you waiting for!" demanded the woman. Charlotte sniffed, wiping away the tears, then pulling out a Pokeball, and tossing it beginning a battle.

Charlotte had sent out Bellossom. The sight of the Pokemon killed Chris to see.

"The Sun Stone," he whispered. Chris then ordered Lairon into battle, but Bellossom had the speed advantage.

"Sleep Powder" she whispered. Bellossom began firing off spores at Lairon attempting to make it drowsy, but it was ineffective of Lairon. Steam was seen bursting from steel Pokemon's nostrils as it awaited Chris' order.

"Lairon, Metal Claw!" Lairon's claws sharpened and the Pokemon charged towards Bellossom, slashing it harshly.

"Giga Drain, Bellossom."

Her voice sounded empty as if she had already been beaten. Whereas their last battle was full of excitement, this battle was full of silence. Bellossom began sapping Lairon's energy, but gained little from it due to its steel resistance.

"Iron Head, Lairon!" shouted Chris. Lairon charged towards Bellossom, head butting the small grass type into one of the walls of the building causing the Pokemon to faint.

"The hell was that?" asked the purple-haired woman.

"BEAT HIM YOU BITCH!" she then screamed. Charlotte flinched, more tears streaming from her eyes.

Without hesitation, Charlotte sent in her ace Pokemon, Blastoise, whom now had the speed advantage.

"Water Gun." she ordered instantly. Blastoise stared back at Charlotte, seeing her crying. "NOW!" she then exclaimed. Blastoise obeyed, blasting Lairon with water causing the rock type Pokemon to faint shortly after contact.

Chris returned the fainted Pokemon to its Pokeball, then sending out his next Pokemon, Umbreon, whom now had the speed advantage.

"Umbreon, Foul Play!" Umbreon charged towards Blastoise, similar to the move Take-Down. Once close enough, Umbreon tackled and scratched Blastoise viciously. However, due to Blastoise's bulky defenses, the move did little to damage the turtle.

"Water Gun," she said quietly. Once more, Blastoise fired a blast of water at one of Chris' Pokemon, the attack doing a surprise amount of damage to Umbreon.

"Bite, Umbreon!" ordered Chris with a fire in his voice. Umbreon looked to bite down on Blastoise like last time, the back of the neck, but the tortoise Pokemon anticipated, and countered by grabbing Umbreon, slamming the Pokemon to the ground, stomping on the feline Pokemon continuously until it fainted.

Chris ordered in Frogadier, shortly after returning Umbreon to its Pokeball. Immediately, Chris called out an order.

"Smack Down, Frogadier!" Frogadier fired a rock at Blastoise, but this time the tortoise wasn't easily angered. It was more concerned with Charlotte's well being.

"Bite," she said in the same empty voice. Blastoise chased after Frogadier, trying to bite the Pokemon, but it was too fast. In response to this, Blastoise unleashed a geyser's worth of water, the exact same events as those in the tower. Like last time, the frog Pokemon caught the water, but this time, a light began surrounding Frogadier. The light blinded everyone within the dome-shaped room. Once it faded, Frogadier had evolved into its final stage turning all the water Blastoise fired into a shuriken, much larger than the one Frogadier crafted back in the tower. Greninja fired the shuriken back at Blastoise, the move doing enough to cause Blastoise to faint.

There was another period of silence after Blastoise fainted.

"That's it? You're strongest Pokemon loses like that!? He's got four more still you worthless-"

"Shut the fuck up!" roared Chris at the purple haired woman. For the first time, Charlotte's head shot upwards as she stared at Chris. The two now stared into each other's eyes, more tears streaming from Charlotte's.

"I tried to warn you… Chris….I told you to forget all of this...you'll be safer this way."

"Enough with the bullshit Charlotte! Whatever you're doing, stops here. I'm ending this!"

Charlotte then noticed Beedrill in the background slashing the ropes which tied up the workers of the Power Plant. Now freed, the workers began fleeing the Plant. The purple haired woman began to head towards the exit where Chris was standing, but Beedrill entrapped her.

"You're not going anywhere," said Chris. The purple haired woman looked back to Charlotte.

"You got two more Pokemon, use 'em!" she shouted.

Charlotte returned Blastoise to its Pokeball, then sending out Jigglypuff. Greninja now forged swords from condensed water within the room, and charged towards Jigglypuff at speeds similar to Korrina's Lucario, slashing Jigglypuff harshly. In just one attack, the puffball Pokemon fell.

"Chris…please," she muttered, then sending out her final Pokemon. Without a word, Greninja used the same sword charging at Amaura. In one fell swoop, Amaura fainted, leaving Charlotte with no more fighting Pokemon. The dome-shaped Power Plant now came to a complete silence as the battle ended.

"I'm trying to protect you-"

"So that's it!?" exclaimed the purple-haired woman.

Chris' Pokemon began surrounding the remaining Team Flare members. Moments later, the police arrived at the inside of the Power Plant, arresting all Team Flare members…including Charlotte.

As she was being dragged out of the Power Plant, she stared at Chris one more time.

"Wait," said Chris to the officer carrying her.

Chris stared at her for a few seconds. He then gestured to the cop allowing him to take her away. As she was taken out of the building, the officer shook Chris' hand.

"Can't believe a teenager did all this…," he said.

Chris spent the remainder of the day on Route 13. At night, Chris lay on the dusty ground, watching as power would return to Lumiose Tower. Once the tower lit up, the city seemed to rejuvenate, Chris and his Pokemon staring at it in amazement.

"Pretty," said Chris.

Despite the sights he was taking in, Chris mind ran elsewhere.

"Should I have let her go? She's wasn't a bad person...no wait she was. She was working with them."

Chris then looked back to his Pokemon, all of which were still gazing at the tower.

"We did it guys...saved the day, and got our revenge."

His Pokemon smiled at him, but something was still off, with all of them. Despite their acts of heroism, Chris and his Pokemon felt like they failed.

"Wonder what the Professor will think when he see's her daughter in jail," said Chris.

"Wonder what the media would say…Ah I shouldn't be thinking about these things…I should focus on the beautiful sights in front of us."

Though he said it, Chris couldn't stick to his word, his mind continued to linger.

"It's weird...isn't it," he then said garnering the attention of his Pokemon. "Y'know...she's gone...And...well I dunno..."

There was a brief silence between him and his Pokemon.

"I kinda miss her."

His Pokemon looked at him surprised. Chris then looked at the Mega Bracelet.

"She's not ruthless… or evil, but...she…was crying…and she was worried about us."

Chris stared at his Pokemon strongly now, like a father would his son.

"From now on, we watch each other's back, alright? We're all that we have. You guard you're brother."


	15. Chapter 14: Life of the Party

Chris checked into a hotel in northern Lumiose City. At around nine in the morning the next day, Chris left that hotel room. Immediately, he was greeted with applause and camera flashes.

"What's going on?" he asked the mob of people, but none of them answered. The farther down the road he walked, the more people cheered for him. Flashes from cameras grew in numbers as well. The overall situation made Chris very uncomfortable. To avoid the mob, he sprinted into one of many alleyways in the city, finding a cafe along the way. Things got better within the cafe, but briefly. Multiple customers eventually began to recognize him. Shortly after finishing half a muffin and a cup of coffee, and once his Pokemon were done eating, Chris fled the cafe. Outside, the press began surrounding Chris, asking him questions and photographing him.

"What was a kid doing in that Power Plant?"

"Did you know that brunette girl?"

"Who were those men?"

Chris raised his arm, silencing the crowd before speaking.

"Do any of you know where the gym is?" he asked the mob politely. Immediately, they all pointed to the tower that Chris was responsible for returning power to.

"Thank you."

He then advanced towards it.

At the base of the tower was a Colosseum. Upon hearing that Chris, the one who brought power back to Lumiose Tower, would be the challenger, seats rapidly began to fill up. Celebrities, Political figures, and average citizens of Lumiose filled the seats of the Colosseum. Shortly after they filled, the gym leader entered the Colosseum in the opposite corner of Chris.

"So you're the guy who helped bring power back to my tower?" asked the gym leader. A hint of jealousy could be heard in his voice. Chris was silent.

"I'm Clemont, the Lumiose City gym leader, and head engineer of this tower. Now, lets see what you got."

Clemont ordered in his first Pokemon, Luxray. Chris sent out Lairon, who was always ready for a fight. Luxray had the speed advantage, and made the first move.

"Thunder Fang, Luxray!" Luxray charged towards Lairon, biting down on the Pokemon with its electric jaws. The move did nothing to Lairon, whom scoffed at the attack.

"Lairon, Iron Head!" Lairon now charged towards Luxray, lowering its head and blasting right into Luxray, the move doing a fair amount of damage. The crowd looked on, cheering at the attack.

"Luxray, Crunch!" Luxray once again charged towards Lairon, trying to bite down on the Pokemon, but its armor was too strong.

"Iron Head, again!" Lairon once again charged at Luxray, blasting directly into the Pokemon causing Luxray to faint. The crowd uproar in cheer, annoying Clemont.

Already, he was down to his final Pokemon, but Clemont didn't fret.

Clemont sent out Heliolisk, whom attacked immediately.

"Discharge!" shouted Clemont. Heliolisk's scales surrounded the Pokemon's face as it unleashed a barrage of electricity upon Lairon, immediately causing the steel Pokemon to faint. Chris returned Lairon to its Pokeball, now looking at his team.

Chris sent in Greninja, hoping his Pokemon could outspeed Heliolisk, which it had done.

"Water Shuriken, Greninja!" Greninja fired off multiple shurikens at Heliolisk, but the lizard Pokemon released another discharge, causing all of Greninja's shurikens to evaporate without reaching the lizard.

"Thunderbolt, Heliolisk!" Heliolisk roared, causing a single bolt of lighting to hit Greninja, immediately causing the water Pokemon to faint.

Chris returned Greninja to its Pokeball. He then sent in Beedrill, hoping to weaken the lizard Pokemon so that Umbreon or Talonflame would finish the job.

"Poison Jab, Beedrill!" Beedrill charged towards Heliolisk, whom once again unleashed a discharge which caused Beedrill to fall directly out of the sky, unable to battle.

Chris returned Beedrill to its Pokeball, a panicked look on his face. The crowd had gone dead silent, with only a minority cheering on Clemont. He now sent in Talonflame, with the vein hope he could once again out speed it. The crowd still looked on, Chris could feel them judging him heavily as Clemont smirked in the distance.

"Flame Charge, Talonflame!" Talonflame surrounded itself in flames before charging after Heliolisk, the move successfully hitting Heliolisk, damaging it moderately.

"Discharge, Heliolisk!" ordered Clemont immediately after Talonflame's attack. The outburst of lighting surrounded the entire battlefield making it impossible for Talonflame to dodge. The Pokemon was shot directly out of the sky by the electricity, causing the Pokemon to faint.

"I think Umbreon can finish this," he thought to himself.

Chris sent in Umbreon as anticipated, but Heliolisk now had the speed advantage.

"Focus Blast, Heliolisk!" called out Clemont with a smirk. Heliolisk arched its neck backwards, building up energy before firing it off at Umbreon. The dark Pokemon dodged the move hastily as Chris called out his order.

"Crunch, Umbreon!" Umbreon chased after Heliolisk trying to bite down on the lizard Pokemon, but it was too quick. Heliolisk dodged Umbreon's attack, kicking dirt into its face, only irritating the dark type Pokemon even more. Umbreon tried biting down one more time, but the dust in its eyes blinded it momentarily. Knowing this, Heliolisk began building up energy for another focus blast.

"Not yet," whispered Clemont. "Discharge!" he then yelled.

Heliolisk obeyed, firing off a barrage of lightning which had paralyzed Umbreon briefly.

"Now!" shouted Clemont. Heliolisk built up the same energy from the previous Focus Blast, and fired it at the paralyzed Umbreon, the blast causing the Pokemon to faint.

Chris no longer had a plan, just one Pokemon remaining.

"Shit," he whispered to himself. The crowd stared harshly at him. As he turned to look at them, Chris saw Lysandre sitting in the corner, gazing at Chris with an expressionless look.

With no other choice left, Chris sent in Tyrunt. Immediately, the tyrant gazed at the crowd, pronouncing its royalty to them. Heliolisk snarked at the small dinosaur. Tyrunt, feeling disrespected, began charging towards Heliolisk. Once close enough, Heliolisk dodged Tyrunt's attack effortlessly, then kicking the dinosaur slightly causing it to tip over. The crowd laughed at the sight, embarrassing Tyrunt. It tried biting Heliolisk with its large jaws, but to no effect. Heliolisk then hurled Tyrunt back towards Chris, whom helped the Pokemon back to its feet. Heliolisk then began building up another Focus Blast. Tyrunt was furious. Heliolisk disrespected it in front of the crowd it had announced its royalty to. Tyrunt stared at the crowd seeing them still laughing at it. Rage built within the Pokemon, causing a blinding light to surround it. Heliolisk fired off the Focus Blast at Tyrunt, but the Pokemon merely ate the attack as it continued to grow. The Pokemon that was once two feet tall now stretched well above Chris, growing to around sixteen feet.

Tyrunt had evolved into the tyrant it once was, the king of Kalos, Tyrantrum. Immediately the Pokemon roared, silencing the mocking crowd. Heliolisk stared at the behemoth, now frightened. Tyrantrum began charging towards Heliolisk, swinging its massive head down trying to bite down on Heliolisk, but to no success. Heliolisk dodged the bite, but Tyrantrum anticipated. The tyrant then stomped on the ground, catching Heliolisk off guard, launching it in the air. Then, Tyrantrum swung its body, slamming its tail directly into Heliolisk, shooting the Pokemon back multiple feet behind Clemont, leaving a dent in the wall. Heliolisk had fainted bringing the battle to a close. Once again, Tyrantrum roared asserting its dominance over the crowd.

The crowd now began to applaud Tyrantrum, but the tyrant paid them no attention, now focusing on Chris. He smiled at his newly evolved Pokemon.

"Guess you are royalty," he said. Tyrantrum's prideful ways returned, while Clemont's sunk to rock bottom. He approached Chris, handing him the badge silently before walking off.

As Chris looked back to the corner of the crowd, he noticed Lysandre had left, and was now at his side on the Colosseum.

"What a spectacle of a battle," began Lysandre. "Listen Chris...I'm hosting a party in Lumiose Tower here...was wondering if you'd like to join? I know a lot of people who'd like to meet you will be there."

"Oh sure...yeah that'd be great," he responded. Lysandre smiled at him.

"Oh hey, one more thing. This party...you might wanna bring a suit."

"I don't have one," muttered Chris. Lysandre opened Chris' hand, handing him a large stack of money.

"Knock yourself out," he said with a smirk. Chris rejected the money at first, but Lysandre persuaded him.

Chris then left Lumiose Tower, holding Lysandre's cash firmly in his hand. Immediately upon leaving the tower, he was confronted by two female voices.

"Hey Chris!" they shouted in unison. Chris saw Serena and Shauna exiting Lumiose Tower.

"We saw your battle in there. You looked great!" said Shauna with a contagious amount of energy.

"Thanks Shauna," he said.

"Oh by the way," continued Shauna. "Serena has something to say to you."

Serena approached Chris shyly.

"I was wondering Chris...maybe if we could get a cup of coffee?"

Chris stared at her silently.

"So...like a date?" asked Chris.

"It's fine if you say no," she responded quickly.

Chris chuckled.

"Sure we can get a cup of coffee."

Shauna cheered in the background.

Chris and Serena found a cafe, while Shauna ran off to explore the city. Serena began telling Chris about everything she'd seen on her way back to Lumiose City. Chris thought of Charlotte the entire time, remembering everything from her mischief nature to her genuine care for him. He remembered Santalune City, Glittering Cave, and the Tower in Shalour.

"Hey, you there?" said Serena snapping Chris from his day dream.

"Yeah, sorry I was just remembering something important I had to do."

"Do you have to do it now?" she asked.

"No," responded Chris.

"Y'know what...forget about me, what about you? You're the hero who helped to get power back to Lumiose Tower. Tell me about it."

"Well," began Chris. "The door to the Power Plant was locked so we broke it down and there were these thugs in the building."

Chris paused, staring blankly at Serena's empty cup of tea.

"Then what?" asked Serena once again snapping him out of his train of thought.

"I uh...fought one of their members..."

"Who was it?"

Chris froze at the question. He then rose from his seat.

"Chris what's wrong?" she asked nervously.

"I just remembered I have to do something," he said lying to her.

"What is it?"

Chris abandoned her before she could get an answer.

Chris spent the rest of the day locked in his hotel room, with a rental suit laying on his bed. He waited the rest of the day for it to be time for the party. Now the evening, Chris ventured out of his hotel room and back to Lumiose Tower, joining Lysandre's party. Shortly after grabbing a small drink, Chris was called over to Lysandre's table. He was sitting with Diantha, the model he'd previously seen back at Ambrette Town. He shook her hand.

"We were just talking about our adventures in the Kalos Region way back when," said Lysandre. "I used to be quite the trainer back in my day."

Diantha scoffed at Lysandre.

"Yeah…when you weren't ridiculing them for hitting themselves in confusion."

"That happened once," groaned Lysandre.

"Like ten times," she responded.

"Enough about us…Chris. You're the up and coming trainer. The hero who got power back to this tower."

"I've heard," said Diantha. "I saw your battle against Clemont. I hope I could battle you some day."

"Diantha is the Pokemon League Champion," injected Lysandre.

"You are?" asked Chris surprised. Diantha lowered her head.

"I told you not to mention that, you idiot."

"Ehh what's the harm in it," responded Lysandre with a naive smile.

"I don't know Lysandre… what's the harm in telling other people your secrets?"

Immediately Lysandre became silent.

"He'll find out eventually…," he groaned.

"Anyways," proceeded Diantha now turning to Chris. "I hope I can see you one day at the Elite Four."

"It's always been a dream of mine," responded Chris.

She smiled as the two continued to talk. Lysandre eyed a man in the distance tossing an empty plastic bottle along with all the other waste.

"Filth," he muttered under his breath.

Twenty minutes passed since Chris entered the party. Lysandre had ventured off into the heart of the party while Chris remained with Diantha.

"So how'd you and Lysandre meet?" asked Chris.

She looked at her drink, twirling the straw in a clockwise direction.

"We used to date…when we were younger…"

The statement shocked Chris.

"You two were a couple!?"

"We traveled Kalos together when we were around your age…young and careless… I remember I didn't like him at first…He was hot-headed, irrational, and very secretive…but…I don't know…I just fell in love with him overtime."

"I don't know if I know the feeling or not," said Chris quietly.

"Trust me, you'll know it," she responded.

Chris was silent for a period before asking her another question.

"What happened between you two?"

"We had a falling out…Lysandre was obsessed with this idea of immortal beauty…He abandoned his dream...our dream."

"What was that?"

"We wanted to challenge the Elite Four and be Champions together…I completed my dream…, but he's been so distant since that time…Always taking trips to Reflection Cave."

She was still twirling her straw. Chris became alert when she mentioned Reflection Cave, remembering the vague vision he saw.

"When I visited Reflection Cave," began Chris. "I found this one mirror that showed me a vision."

Diantha looked at him quizzically.

"What kind of visions?" she asked.

"I saw a black, Y-Shape appear before me, and a blue eye."

He intentionally omitted the two girls from his vision.

"Huh...Reminds me of an old tale my Grandmother used to tell me…The Pokemon of Life and the Pokemon of Death, Xerneas and Yveltal. She told me that Yveltal, the bringer of death, brought famine and destruction to the Kalos region thousands of years ago, and Xerneas was responsible for sealing away Yveltal and offering life back to the land. Yveltal had the Y-Shaped wings, and Xerneas had an X clearly marked in its eyes."

Chris was silent, absorbing all that she had said.

"It's a tale…," she added quickly. "For all I know it could be bogus…"

"Do you think it its?" asked Chris sipping his drink. Diantha was quiet.

"I would never close my mind to a possibility."

Chris remained at the party for two more hours, shaking hands with multiple elderly businessmen, all of which applauded Chris' actions. Just before he left, a man gave Chris a newspaper. The paper had him and his Pokemon photographed with the title reading:

'Professor's Grandson Defeats Mysterious Gang Stealing Electricity From Lumiose Tower'

Chris smiled at the sight of it, reading about himself on the way back to his hotel.

"Wait till pops sees this."

Once he reached the hotel, Chris opened the door. Immediately, a foul smell bombarded Chris.

"Oh my God," he said as the stench hit his nostrils. "The hell is that smell?" Chris began moving throughout the hotel room, which was bathed in the vile smell. He was trying to pin point where the smell was coming from. Eventually, he noticed it was strongest from the bedroom, which was a completely separate room. As Chris opened the door, he was horrified at the sight of what he'd seen.

Next to his bed lay a bloody white trash bag, within it, Shauna's mangled dead body. On his bed read a small note.

'She Warned You, and You Didn't Listen'


	16. Chapter 15: Betrayal

In just half an hour, Chris' hotel room turned into a crime scene with multiple police officers motioning back and forth through his room. The stench of rotten flesh ran ransom throughout the apartment. Because of this, Chris sat in the hallway just outside his room, shaking from the sight of it. Seeing this, an officer approached him.

"You alright son?" he asked. As Chris raised his head, he noticed it was the same police officer from the Power Plant yesterday. Chris didn't respond to the man, continuing to sit quietly in the hallway. Photographs were now being taken of the crime scene.

"They left a note," whispered Chris.

"A note?" said the officer confused. Chris stared up at him confused. He rose to his feet, now venturing into the crime scene.

"It was on the bed," he said.

"We didn't see any note kid," said the cop.

"How did you not? It was right there!" exclaimed Chris. The cop calmed him down.

"Look kid, I get it. It's a traumatizing sight. Just get some rest."

The officer escorted Chris to another hotel room just a couple blocks down from his previous one. Despite being in a new hotel, Chris couldn't sleep, the crime scene haunting him.

It was the next morning.

Serena walked, alone, into a cafe with a red exterior that lay nearby Lumiose Tower. Her eyes were as red as the cafe from extensive crying. Immediately she was greeted by Lysandre.

"Would you like anything to drink?" asked Lysandre beginning their conversation. Serena didn't say anything.

"Oh darling…I'm so sorry for your loss…"

Serena thought about crying, but she couldn't, she had no more tears left. Lysandre sat next to her silently.

"I called you here because I want to help you," he said fiddling with his cup of coffee. "If I lost a friend….I'd want revenge on whoever did it."

The statement garnered her attention.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?" asked Lysandre gently. "My cafe does make a fantastic cup of coffee."

"You said I can get revenge," she mumbled.

Lysandre nodded his head.

"How?"

Lysandre rose from his chair now venturing to the back of the cafe, Serena following shortly behind him.

Lysandre lead Serena past the kitchen, down a flight of stairs, and into a secret underground hideout beneath the cafe.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Serena.

"It's a secret place of mine...A place where I come to think in privacy..."

Serena gazed at the damp hideout.

"Now Serena," he snapped, instantly getting her attention. "If you want revenge...you're gonna have to keep a secret between you and me, okay?"

She nodded, leading Lysandre to pull out a laptop. The two sat at a steel table staring at the computer.

"This is the security camera footage taken last night…this is where she died."

Serena pushed the computer away not wanting to see it.

"I know its hard to see, Serena. I know…But this will reveal the man who killed her…, but you must keep it a secret, okay?"

Serena nodded her head once again as she turned to look at the computer.

A clock was seen at the top right corner, reading, '8:37 pm'. The security camera oversaw one of the many alleyways of Lumiose City. Shauna was seen on camera talking with a man disguised by the shadows of the building. That man then tossed Shauna at the concrete wall viciously. It wasn't the hit from the wall that killed her, but a stab to the chest shortly after. The man covered her mouth making sure she didn't scream. He then stared directly behind him, as the camera footage cut off. Serena closed the laptop shortly after.

"You said I could get revenge...but who's the killer?"

"Look back at the tape," demanded Lysandre. Serena opened the laptop once more, summoning the strength to rewatch the death of her closest friend.

"Take note of the Pokemon in the background," said Lysandre. Next to the shady man that killed Shauna were two Pokemon, a Talonflame that was clearly visible, and a Pokemon on all fours with distinct red eyes right next to him.

"Tell me Serena…who do you know uses a Pokemon in the Fletchling line or a feline Pokemon with red eyes?"

"Chris," she immediately whispered. "No, it can't be Chris!" she exclaimed. "He would never do something like this…"

"Well...I've spoken with him before. He can come across as hostile…"

"That's not Chris…," she denied continuously. Lysandre smirked slightly as she turned away. When she faced him again, his smirk disappeared.

"Maybe he was hiding who he was all along," said Lysandre implanting the seeds of doubt into Serena's mind.

"It can't be…It can't be…There's no way..."

"People show there true forms Serena...maybe he was planning on killing you two all along."

Serena began to crack mentally as Lysandre continued to speak.

"It's a shame…I've seen you two all the time...looked like a great couple...You liked him didn't you?" he asked.

Serena broke down, beginning to sob on the floor.

Lysandre lifted her up onto her feet, comforting her the entire time.

"This world is cruel and evil Serena…wicked and run by filth...Serena...I want you to help me cleanse the world of such filth. I want to help you get justice for Shauna...please...let me help."

Serena looked up at him, tears continued streaming down her face. Now rage began to consume her as Lysandre smiled.

Another day passed by in Lumiose City. Chris awaited any answer from the police, but nothing returned to him. Lumiose City, once a tourist hot spot, now became a silent city, with men and women passing by each other, not a word to say. The news of Shauna's death led to Trevor and Tierno completely abandoning the Kalos Region with their families, fearful they might be next to die. Through all of this turmoil, Chris remembered what Charlotte said.

"I'm trying to protect you…I warned you…"

"I should've agreed with her," said Chris sinking his head into his arms. "God why did I have to get involved in this. Stupid...stupid..."

Immediately after, Chris heard a knock on his hotel door. When he opened it, multiple officers were seen outside his room.

"You find the murderer yet?" asked Chris.

"Sure did," responded the cop before tackling Chris to the ground, arresting him.

Chris was presented in front of a court that very same day, now standing trial. Upon entering the court, handcuffed, Chris was greeted by many dirty looks. In the crowd, he saw Lysandre along with Diantha. Lysandre stared at him coldly while Diantha stared at him worried. The once declared hero was now presented in court accused of murder. Chris saw Serena in the front rows of the court.

"Serena," he called out to her, but she looked the opposite direction of him. Chris now sat in the court, a lawyer next to him, whom he had never seen. The jury stared harshly at Chris. In the opposite corner was an elderly man and woman with brown hair and blue eyes similar to Shauna.

"Your honor, I didn't kill her," pleaded Chris to the judge.

"Order!" demanded the judge in response. "Now, Chris Oak. You are on trial for the accused murder of seventeen year old Shauna Brimes."

Chris now knew it was Shauna's parents opposite of where he was.

"Do you have anything to say Mr. Oak?" asked the judge. Chris' lawyer stood up, but it was Chris that spoke.

"I want to say that I swear to God I never killed your daughter. I'm not the man who did this!"

"Do you have any factual information to back your statement," interrupted the judge.

"Yes, there was a note on my bed when I found her body dead," he responded.

"What did the note read?" asked the judge.

"You were warned, or we warned you, something along those lines."

"And you know this factually?" asked the judge. Chris nodded confidently. The judge motioned his right arm as the police officer from the Power Plant now entered the court.

"Officer you were one of the first to reach the crime scene at Mr. Oak's hotel room. Tell me, was there a note in there?"

"No sir," responded the cop.

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Chris.

"ORDER!" responded the judge.

"There was no note sir, just the body."

Chris sat back in his chair seeing Shauna's parents staring harshly at him.

The court case continued for hours with piles of false evidence continuing to be piled on top of Chris. He tried to counter the claims, but was shunned by the judge everytime. The uphill battle would only get worse for Chris. Towards the end of the court case, the doors to the court room shot open with a single man standing outside them.

The world renown Professor Oak entered the court staring sorrowfully at his grandson.

"Grandpa," said Chris quietly.

"May the court continue," stated the judge. It seemed odd to Chris that his grandfather could just waltz into a court just like that. Oak didn't speak to Chris, instead listening to all the claims being made about his grandson. Then came the final blow for Chris, the nail in the coffin.

"Your honor," began Shauna's father. "We would like to show video footage of the night our daughter was murdered."

The judge allowed it, and the footage that Lysandre had was revealed to the court. Chris stared at the footage, seeing the Talonflame and Umbreon. By brightening the footage, the man was seen to have brown, spiky hair, like Chris.

"That wasn't me…," he mumbled hopelessly. "Your honor that wasn't me!"

"Silence!" he exclaimed. Chris now turned back to look at his grandfather, tears rolling down his face. Behind his grandfather, Chris could see Serena looking at him harshly.

An hour passed after seeing the footage.

"Now the jury will make their decision," said the judge.

"Your honor," began one of the jury members. "We find the defendant…guilty of all crimes alleged."

Chris' heart sunk. Oak turned away from him, Lysandre smirked. Serena stared at him disgusted.

"No...NO, NO! IT WASN'T ME! I SWEAR!"

"Take him away," said the judge to two police officers next to him. Just as he said that, Beedrill sprung out of its Pokeball, defending Chris from everyone surrounding them.

"ORDER!" demanded the judge. More and more of Chris' Pokemon joined him. Tyrantrum ripped apart the court room, standing right next to Chris. Then, Talonflame surrounded Chris and his Pokemon in a whirlwind of fire, blinding all those in the court. When the fire subsided, nothing was on fire, but a glass window had been shattered.

"Where'd he go!?" asked Shauna's father.

"He's gone…," whispered Professor Oak.


	17. Chapter 16: Hero to Disgrace

Two weeks passed since Chris escaped the court room. A witch hunt was sent out for him, but he wasn't found anywhere in the Kalos Region.

Without Chris there, Lumiose City returned to the hot spot it once was, no longer being a silent city.

At the north east exit of Santalune City a child was seen staring into the crystal clear water of Route 22. Shortly after, a Blastoise rose from a body of water with a Marill wrapped tightly next to the tortoise's body.

"This your Marill?" asked Charlotte.

"IT IS!" exclaimed the child. "Thank you miss!"

The child sprinted off back into Santalune City. Charlotte smiled at the sight of the running child. She hadn't spoken to Team Flare since she was arrested. Charlotte thought deeply about her life. She thought of running away from the region she started to call a shit-hole.

"Maybe Kanto," she thought to herself. "I heard Hoenn's nice...Sinnoh's too cold…"

Suddenly a voice called out to Charlotte, breaking her day dream.

"Hey Charlotte," said a much deeper voice that clearly wasn't a child's.

Charlotte turned around, quickly recognizing the voice.

Chris stood in front of her, covering his typical spiky hair with a cheap hoodie.

"Chris, what-"

Immediately, Chris put his hand over her mouth.

"Keep it down… you're talking to an alleged murderer," he whispered.

"You're right, I am…now give me a reason why I shouldn't scream?"

"Don't...look Charlotte...I need your help."

She almost burst out laughing.

"You want my help? After everything you put me through."

"Charlotte…I."

"I gave you my Mega Bracelet."

"I need…"

"I went to jail..."

Chris stared at the ground as Charlotte continued to speak.

"If you just looked the other way Chris...none of this would've happen."

There was a brief period of silence before Chris spoke.

"They killed Shauna," he whispered.

"Why do you want my help anyways?" asked Charlotte. "I thought I was a criminal."

"Well we both are," chuckled Chris. Charlotte stared at him unamused.

"Look...you're the only person I can turn to," he said quietly.

"What about your grandfather?"

"No, no I don't need him Charlotte...I need you."

"Why?"

"Because I want to clear my name..."

Charlotte stared at him silently.

"It's because I'm in Team Flare right?" she asked.

Chris nodded, leading her to chuckle.

"I'm trying to get away from them...and you wanna lead me right back to them."

"Charlotte...I just want to clear my name...that's it. After that, I'll disappear from your life forever."

She stared at him blankly.

"What's in it for me?" she then asked.

Chris turned around and began walking the opposite direction.

"I can't rely on anyone anymore," he grumbled.

"Chris...I just got out of jail two months ago and you want me to help a convict...give me a reason to."

"I can't pay you back with anything!" he exclaimed. "If you want something in return...I've got nothing..."

He continued to walk away from her, his head lowered with the hoodie hiding his spiky hair.

"Wait," she called out. Chris stopped, turning around to stare at her. "You're Professor Oak's kid right?' she asked.

Chris nodded.

"Tell you what...I help clear your name...in return you get me out of this shit-hole."

Chris looked relieved.

"Thank you Charlotte," he said quietly.

Her typical smirk reemerged as she vice gripped Chris' arm, dragging him into Santalune City.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Chris.

"Lumiose City," she responded in a jolly tone.

"Lumiose!? I'm a convicted murderer, and you want me to go into Lumiose? I thought you wanted to help me..."

Charlotte turned around, staring directly into Chris' green eyes.

"Relax," she said with a smirk as she poked his nose.

Charlotte and Chris entered Lumiose City. Upon entering, Chris shot his head downward, the hoodie still hiding his spiky hair.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"I'm hiding my face," he responded. Charlotte rolled her eyes, then gripping his hoodie, pulling his head up.

"You look more conspicuous when you're doing that. Just hide in plane sight. I do it all the time." Charlotte's plan had worked. Even with his head raised, no one in Lumiose recognized him.

Charlotte snuck Chris into one of the alleyways of Lumiose City. She had taken him specifically to the alley where Shauna was stabbed.

"Notice anything?" she asked. Chris scanned the alleyway.

"There's a camera...pointing down the alleyway."

Chris remembered the footage he saw in the courtroom.

"That's the camera that they used to frame me," he declared.

"Notice anything else?" asked Charlotte.

"Why are you so calm about this?" asked Chris. Charlotte groaned, pointing above Chris. There was another camera.

"That camera is your golden ticket…You get that tape, and you can prove you're innocent."

"How'd you figure that out?" asked Chris.

"I had a lot of free time once I got out of jail," she responded. Chris snapped open the bottom of the camera, but it was empty. As he scanned the camera again, he noticed two numbers painted onto the camera reading, '72'.

"Camera seventy-two," he muttered to himself. "But…how will I get the tape?"

Charlotte gripped Chris' arm once more, now taking him deeper into Lumiose City, his worries growing larger and larger.

Charlotte had taken Chris to her apartment which was next to Lumiose City's riverwalk. Chris sat down on her bed while Charlotte sifted through her closet.

"When I was with Team Flare, we switched where the Power Plant is directing its energy. We switched it from Lumiose Tower to Lysandre's cafe... Team Flare is using his cafe as a hideout."

"Lysandre...bastard set me up. But how will we get there?" asked Chris. Shortly after asking, Charlotte tossed a man's suit onto the bed.

"How do this look on you?" she asked.

"What is that?" he responded.

"My dad's old suit?"

"Why will I need a suit?"

"Because… Lysandre's throwing a party today at the center of Lumiose City to celebrate the one year anniversary of his cafe…dress good enough and people'll probably not notice you."

"And this," he said pointing to his hair.

"Don't worry...I'll fix it up for you," she said with a smirk.

"Ah...and the security camera footage?"

"Its in Lumiose Tower. We sneak in and then out," she responded quickly.

"How'd know that?"

"Celosia told me about it in the Power Plant..."

"Celo-who?" asked Chris.

"Celosia...the purple-haired person in the Power Plant."

Chris now turned his attention to the suit.

"So what time is the party tonight?"

It was eight at night, the party was at its loudest and largest. Chris and Charlotte snuck into the party, which had been hosted at the center of Lumiose City, but spread to the entire center of the city. Immediately the two of them entered Lumiose Tower. Chris successfully snuck past people in Sycamore's old suit, and his hair was completely gelled down. Charlotte took Chris to the third floor of the tower, knocking out any guards on the floor with Bellossom's Sleep Powder. With the guards unconscious, Chris and Charlotte reached the control room where all security cameras of Lumiose City were being monitored. The two of them began scanning each screen.

"What camera number was it again?" asked Charlotte.

"Seventy-two," responded Chris instantly. Charlotte eventually found the number, but there was no footage.

"Chris…, it's not here," she said. Chris began shuffling through file cabinets next to the monitor screen.

"No, no, it has to be…"

Chris scanned everything Charlotte previously did.

"No…God no, where could it be…," he said embracing defeat. Charlotte exited the control room, staring through the glass walls of the tower.

"At Lysandre's cafe," remarked Charlotte looking at the small cafe. "Like I said, they have to have a hideout there."

"Alright…let's check it out…, but keep a low profile," noted Chris. Charlotte agreed.

The two exited Lumiose Tower, moving through the crowd of people slowly. The crowd helped to conceal Chris, but the gel in his hair began to wear off, causing his spiky hair to slightly reemerge. The cafe was packed as well, once again playing to their advantage. Like they did before, Chris and Charlotte moved slowly through the cafe, scanning for any possible sign of a secret door. Eventually, Chris and Charlotte snuck into the employee only section. Immediately as they entered the room, Chris heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, and getting louder and louder.

"Shit," he said quietly. Chris saw the man, but the man didn't see him. His back was bent forward, his skin wrinkly and wore down. Instinctively, Charlotte grabbed Chris' shirt, forcing him onto a wall, kissing him. The man walked passed them, snarking at the sight of them.

"This is employee's only," groaned the man. "What're you two doing back here..."

"Sleep Powder," ordered Charlotte. Bellossom sprung out of its Pokeball, unleashing a barrage of spores on the man which caused him to become unconscious.

"Couldn't you have done that in the first place?" asked Chris.

"I could've," she remarked with her signature smirk. Chris sighed. Once past the man, he turned the corner only to be face to face with Diantha. Both of them were shocked initially, but Diantha stared at him, her mouth closed, but her eyes widened.

"Please," he begged to Diantha. She stared at him harshly.

"Go," she whispered. Chris and Charlotte ventured deeper into the hideout while Diantha rejoined the party.

The damp floors had been substituted for dark, polished tiles the deeper they got into the hideout. Here, Chris found a single chair with a massive monitor behind it stretching floor to ceiling. Next to the monitor were hoards of filing cabinets, but they were locked. Chris sent out Talonflame, ordering his Pokemon to burn the locks. Once they were burnt off, the two ravaged through the cabinets trying to find the tape. Eventually, Chris backed away from the filing cabinets, wielding a folder.

"Is that it?" asked Charlotte.

"No," he responded. "It's a list..."

"Of what?" she asked, somewhat annoyed. Chris approached her, showing her the list.

"It's a bunch of names...they're all paid off by Team Flare...look."

"Oh shit," she said quietly.

Chris scanned the list, finding that the judge that accused him had been paid off, along with a majority of Lumiose City's police force. The list didn't stop there; lawyers, news reporters, mechanics, and many more were all on the list.

"I was framed," said Chris. "I knew it..."

"Look that's great and all, but we need to find that tape," responded Charlotte.

Chris agreed with her.

The two ravaged through the filing cabinets once again for around five more minutes. Now Charlotte backed away.

"Seventy-two, right?" she asked.

Chris nodded. Charlotte then held out the tape to Chris.

"Ha! We did it!" he cheered. Chris looked at the tape, a smile from ear to ear.

"See. I told you to relax," she said with a smile on her face.

Their celebration was cut short when they heard footsteps rapidly approaching them.

"HEY! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TWO!?"

A team Flare grunt had spotted the two. Immediately, Aggron, who was previously Lairon, sprung from its Pokeball. The steel Pokemon slapped the grunt with its tail, knocking him out, but it was too late. Other grunts within the base activated the fire alarm, making Lysandre's cafe the center of attention. Chris grabbed Charlotte's arm, sprinting out of the cafe. As they made there way back into the center of Lumiose City, Chris' hair had return to its original form. People began to recognize him, and hollered at him.

"HE'S BACK!"

"THE MURDERER!"

"ROT IN HELL!"

Chris ignored them, sending out Talonflame who began flying, allowing him to escape the city. Charlotte sent out her Jigglypuff, whom began to inflate, carrying her out of the city.

"Now what?" asked Charlotte. Chris was silent, thinking of his next plan.

"I got one idea," he then responded.

Chris had flown directly to the Pokemon League, which was east of Santalune City, well out of the sight of anybody from Lumiose City, but their time was short. Police forces were already on their way after him. The Pokemon League was a massive palace that was used by kings of Kalos up until two decades ago. Chris knocked on the door, only for it to be opened by Diantha.

"Chris…," she said shocked.

"Diantha…Thank God. I need your help."

"Chris I'm sorry...I can't." She began to close the door slightly.

"Wait!" called out Chris. He then held up the film. "This tape proves I'm innocent, please."

"Why not take it to the authorities?"

"I can't Diantha…they're all backed by Team Flare…" Chris then showed her the list. She brushed through it.

"Chris…"

"Please…I've been framed…I just want my life back."

Diantha stared at him silently.

"…What do you need me to do?" she asked.

"Guard this," he responded handing her the tape. "I'm gonna go take down Team Flare."

"Take down Team Flare? Chris that list has well over 700+ names," said Charlotte.

"I've come this far. I didn't turn a blind eye then, I'm not doing it now."

"Wait," called out Diantha. "You shouldn't be so hasty."

Diantha scanned the front of the Pokemon League, scouting for anyone possibly spying on them. She then let Chris and Charlotte into the Pokemon League, eventually leading them to a spare bedroom.

"Rest up...We'll talk tomorrow in the dining hall."

"Thank you," responded Chris.

It was around eleven at night, thus Chris and Charlotte began to prepare for bed.

"Unzip me?" asked Charlotte. Chris agreed, zipping down her dress, looking the opposite direction as she changed. Charlotte then slipped on a bathrobe she found in the bathroom, then joining Chris in the shared bed.

"I'm surprised that they don't have another spare bedroom in this place," remarked Chris.

"I'm surprised you still wanna get away from me," she said playfully.

"What're you talking about?"

"You came to me for help today," she said.

"You were the only person I could trust," he responded instantly.

"I don't know...Diantha seems pretty trustworthy."

"That's because of the tape."

The more they went back and forth, the larger Charlotte's smile got.

"How'd you even get to Team Flare?" he asked curiously.

Immediately, Charlotte's smirk disappeared.

"My father forced me into it," she began in a somber tone.

Chris stared at her, shocked.

"He told me it was for a great cause that I will one day see."

"Your father is a part of Team Flare…Professor Sycamore!?" he asked still stunned.

"Not just him...," she continued in the same somber tone. Chris' eyes widened.

"You remember that get together for the Professor's a while back?" asked Charlotte. "All of them are a part of Team Flare. All..."

Chris paused, staring at the ground.

"Would…my grandfather be a part of Team Flare?" he asked.

"Well, you didn't know anything about Team Flare, so he must not," she responded.

Chris now leaned back against the bed. He looked exhausted. Next to him, Charlotte began to yawn and stretch, then leaning on his shoulder.

"Admit it...," she began.

"Admit what?" he responded.

"Admit you missed me."

"Absolutely not," responded Chris.

"C'mon," she teased.

"You robbed me the first day we met…, how is that suppose to make you appealing?"

"I gave you your money back anyways…"

"Yeah…on your father's order."

"Eh, I just do that stuff to get out of the house…, away from him…plus it's pretty fun."

"And you wonder why you went to jail…," he said quietly. Charlotte slapped him on his shoulder.

"You're the one who should be," she responded.

"I was setup, Charlotte."

Without knowing, Chris had approached her, their noses just centimeters from each other.

"You're moving closer to me," noted Charlotte. "Admit it…you like me."

Chris looked down, then hugging her.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thanks for being there when no one else was."

She hugged him back. The room had became dead silent, just the two of them, staring into each other's eyes.

Chris now moved himself even closer, closing his eyes and kissing Charlotte. She wrapped her arms around his back as he continued to kiss her. When he opened his eyes again, he pulled away.

"We…we should be going to bed," said Chris.

Charlotte agreed, lying right next to him.

"G'night," they murmured to each other.


	18. Chapter 17: Laverre and Dendemille

It was now the next morning. Chris and Charlotte joined Diantha in the dining hall, accompanied by three trainers Chris had never seen before.

"Chris," she began. "These are the remaining gym leaders of Kalos," began Diantha. "The sixth gym leader, Valerie. The seventh, Olympia, and the eighth, Wulfric."

Chris shook hands with each one of them.

"Diantha filled us in on your issue," began Olympia. She then put her hand out, a blue aura surrounded her as she used her supernatural psychic abilities. She read through Chris' memories, and once the blue aura around her faded, Olympia spoke.

"You have a pure heart compared to what they've said about you," she said.

"We heard you have a tape," interrupted Wulfric. Chris looked at him, nodding.

"May we see it?" he asked. Chris handed him the tape. He then placed it in a motion camera brought forth. The tape revealed a different angle of the incident. From this angle, the man that attacked Shauna had distinct red-hair not brown, like Chris. The red-eyed Pokemon also wasn't Umbreon, but rather a Houndoom easily seen from the bones on its back. Once the murder was finished, the man looked to the camera, his face completely different from Chris'. He reached for the camera which caused the video to end. The three gym leaders and Diantha now stared at Chris.

"Why isn't this out to the press yet?" asked Valerie.

"The press is working with Team Flare," said Chris. "They're the ones who set me up. If I give them the tape, they'll destroy it."

"I'm surprised they haven't destroyed it yet," noted Olympia.

"So you need to become stronger then," said Wulfric. Chris nodded. "Alright…head to Laverre City. It's just north of Lumiose City, that's where Valerie's gym is."

"Travel the region as per usual," said Olympia.

"What if I'm found?" asked Chris.

"Have faith in Pokemon then," she responded.

"The hell does that mean?" pondered Chris.

With the tape secured by Diantha and the Elite four, Chris exited the Pokemon League, ready to mount on Talonflame to travel to Laverre City. Valerie had already left an hour ago. In the distance, Charlotte was seen inflating Jigglypuff.

"Whoa. What're you doing?" asked Chris.

"I'm coming with you," said Charlotte confidently.

"Uh…Charlotte, its safer here than with me."

"I know…," she said joyfully.

"So why come with me!?"

Charlotte's confidence faded. She had now became shy.

"Because…I…"

Chris tilted his head.

"Spit it out Charlotte."

"I wanna take down Flare with you," she said quietly.

Chris stared at her.

"I thought you wanted to get away from them..."

"I know what I said. It's just that..."

"Is this about last night?" asked Chris. She was silent. He then continued to speak.

"Look Charlotte, I made a decision...a dangerous decision, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I don't care if it's dangerous," she responded quickly. "I'm coming with you."

The two stared at each other, only the gentle breeze making a sound.

"Chris," she said breaking the silence. "You're the only person that gives a shit about me..."

"That's not true…what about your father?"

"Ha! He puts up a facade when you're around. But when you're gone…he's different." She began to tear up. Chris hugged her.

"Last night," she said as she was crying. "That was the only time I think I ever felt appreciated. The only time I ever felt...love."

Chris comforted her.

"I see," he said quietly. He then pulled away from her, approaching his Talonflame. Charlotte stared at him as he hopped on the bird Pokemon.

"You coming?" he asked her with a smile on his face. Charlotte wiped her tears, hopping on Jigglypuff and traveling with him.

Chris and Charlotte flew for half an hour before arriving at Laverre City. It was a rural town with no televisions whatsoever. The architecture was also vastly different, now taking on the designs of Japanese temples. He admired the town's landscapes, but only from an aerial view. Once he reached the ground, Chris rushed towards the gym, avoiding any contact with others. The gym turned out to be an oversized doll house, which struck Chris as creepy. Upon reaching the top floor, he saw Valerie, standing in an enlarged version of a bedroom.

"Already here?" she asked. "I figured you'd want to train first."

"My Pokemon and I have been training for two weeks. We're ready."

"Very well then." She then turned her attention to Charlotte. She gave her a gentle smile.

"Great to see you by his side. After all, a strong man always has a good woman by his side."

Charlotte took pride on the term, while Chris rolled his eyes as the battle began.

Chris sent out Aggron, Valerie sent out Clefable. The gym leader called out the first attack.

"Clefable, Flamethrower!" Clefable immediately fired off a beam of fire at Aggron, damaging the steel Pokemon minimally.

"Iron Head, Aggron!" Aggron charged after Clefable, slamming head first into it, doing massive amounts of damage. Upon rising to its feet, Chris noticed Clefable chewing on a berry of some sorts.

"Is that a-"

"Chople berry," said Valerie. "Weakens any super effective moves done to a Pokemon. Now Clefable! Flamethrower, again!"

Clefable fired off another direct beam of fire at Aggron, once again doing little to damage the behemoth.

"Double-Edge, Aggron!" Aggron lowered its shoulder, charging directly into Clefable, the move damaging both parties, but in the end, Clefable had fainted.

Valerie returned Clefable to its Pokeball, then sending out her next Pokemon, Wigglytuff. Being another fairy type gave Aggron the advantage.

"Fire Blast, Wigglytuff!" ordered Valerie. Wigglytuff fired off a five-pointed blast at Aggron, damaging it severely. Despite the attack, Aggron was still in fighting condition. Aggron roared before Chris called out its order.

"Iron Head!" Aggron pawed the ground like it'd always done, charging at Wigglytuff. The hit immediately caused Wigglytuff to faint, but Aggron had fallen shortly after due to exhaustion.

Chris returned the behemoth to its Pokeball, then sending out the other Pokemon on his team that gave him an advantage. Chris sent in Beedrill, Valerie sending in Sylveon.

"Flamethrower, Sylveon!" Sylveon fired off a straight shot of fire, which Beedrill dodged, soaring above the trajected attack.

"Poison Jab, Beedrill!" Beedrill circled the beam of fire, pulling its left arm back before firing it directly into the body of Sylveon. The poison had done enough to cause Sylveon to faint in one hit, something Beedrill had never done before. The Pokemon froze, staring at its stingers. Shortly afterwards, Beedrill raised its arms in the air celebrating. Chris pat the bug Pokemon, rewarding it for the victory.

"And I said you weren't strong," mumbled Valerie. She then approached Chris, returning Sylveon to its Pokeball and handing Chris the badge.

"Olympia's next," said Valerie gaining Chris and Charlotte's attention. "She's quite the distance from here at Anistar City. And don't bother flying…The temperatures up in the sky over those cold areas could easily kill a person. You'll have to get there by foot."

Chris understood, exiting the gym along with Charlotte.

The two headed west of Laverre which lead to Route 15. The route took no more than ten minutes to pass through. While on this route, Chris and Charlotte began to notice the temperatures dropping. Once through the route, the two arrived in Dendemille Town. Immediately, Charlotte ventured into a clothes store, purchasing two winter jackets, one for her and one for Chris, whom waited outside the town. Upon returning, Charlotte handed Chris a dark green bomber jacket.

"Figure the color fits you," she said with a smile. Charlotte then slipped on what looked to be an expensive fur coat.

"Uh Charlotte...I gave you two hundred...how much is that thing?"

"Six hundred," she responded quickly.

"SIX HUNDRED!? Where the hell did you get that money?"

Charlotte revealed her father's credit card, a smirk on her face. She then handed him his two hundred dollars. Chris stared at her displeased.

"Oh relax white knight," she said. "You'll have him behind bars by the time we're done here."

He didn't bother to argue with her.

Shortly after, Chris and Charlotte reentered Dendemille Town. Chris stared at his phone as Charlotte gazed at the town.

"The gym here?" she asked.

"No. It's at Anistar. Just a east of here," he responded. The two then proceeded towards Route 17. At the exit of the town, Chris saw two red-suited Team Flare members, heading up north of Dendemille. Chris tapped Charlotte's shoulder, pointing to them. She immediately became alert.

"You said we're gonna stop them together," said Chris.

"I'm waiting on you," she said with a smirk. The two then chased after the two Flare members.

As they ventured up north of Dendemille, they began to encounter snow. The northern route eventually came to a dead end with just a cave laying ahead of them covered in snow, but in between them and the cave was a convoy of Team Flare members, with a familiar purple-haired woman at the center of them all.

"No sign of the third beast, ma'am," said a woman with green hair out loud.

"That's impossible Bryony," exclaimed Celosia. "Every cave has been searched religiously…Unless.."

"Terminus is the last cave to check," responded Bryony.

"M'LADY!" shouted a grunt now pointing to Chris and Charlotte. Celosia now turned around, staring at them.

"I can't believe it," she muttered. "The bitch…and a murderer…You come here for forgiveness Charlotte?"

Chris stepped in front of her, but she pushed him aside.

"Chris…," she said silently. A smirk then emerged on her face. "Let me deal with her."

"You sure?"

"More than ever…" Charlotte then raised her wrist showing her Mega Bracelet. Bryony challenged Chris, beginning a double battle.

Charlotte sent out Aurorus, while Chris sent out Tyrantrum. Tyrantrum stared at Aurorus briefly, intimidating the ice type.

"Tyrantrum!" called out Chris. Immediately, the Pokemon snapped back into control, focusing on Bryony, whom sent out Tentacruel. Celosia sent out Drapion, whom attacked first.

"Cross Poison on Aurorus, Drapion!" Drapion charged after Aurorus, intentionally missing Aurorus and attempting to hit Charlotte. The scorpion swiped, but Charlotte dodged the attack. Angered, Tyrantrum chased after Drapion, but was restrained by Tentacruel's wrap. Drapion continued swiping at Charlotte, before finally cornering her. Drapion raised its pincer, but it became frozen in mid-air. Aurorus had frozen Drapion's arm completely, then using its tail to slam directly on top of Drapion, thrusting it deeper and deeper into the ground.

"Charlotte!" called out Chris. "Use Protect!"

Charlotte stared at him, initially confused. Chris then looked up to Tyrantrum. She then understood him, calling out the order.

"Aurorus, Protect!" Aurorus surrounded itself in impenetrable forcefield.

"Now, Earthquake Tyrantrum!" Tyrantrum freed itself from Tentacruel's wrap, then raising its right foot as far as it could before slamming it into the ground causing the ground to shake viciously. Drapion was blasted directly out of the ground and back to Celosia's side. Tentacruel had also fainted from the attack.

Both Celosia and Bryony returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs. Celosia sent out Dragalge, and Bryony sent out Clawitzer. Both their Pokemon attacked in unison.

"Clawitzer, Hydro Pump!" ordered Bryony. Clawitzer aimed its massive snapping arm at Aurorus, blasting the fossil Pokemon with large amounts of pressurized water causing Aurorus to faint instantly. Dragalge now took aim at Tyrantrum.

"Dragon Pulse, Dragalge!" demanded Celosia. Dragalge fired a direct beam of energy at Tyrantrum, the move causing Tyrantrum to faint instantly as well.

Chris returned Tyrantrum to its Pokeball, then sending out Umbreon. Charlotte returned Aurorus to its pokeball and sent out Bellossom. Chris and Charlotte looked at each other.

"You hit Dragalge?" he whispered. She nodded.

"Umbreon, Crunch!" he called out pointing to Clawitzer. Umbreon crunched down on the snapping shrimp harshly, causing the Pokemon to flinch.

"Bellossom, Sleep Powder!" she called out aiming at Dragalge. Bellossom surrounded Dragalge with spores, causing the dragon Pokemon to fall into a deep asleep. With Pokemon unable to attack, Chris and Charlotte's Pokemon attacked once more.

"Crunch, Umbreon!" said Chris pointing to Dragalge.

"Bellossom, Giga Drain," she said pointing to Clawitzer. As Umbreon charged after Dragalge, Bellossom sapped all of Clawitzer's energy from it, causing the Pokemon to faint. Umbreon crunched down on Dragalge, but it wasn't enough to cause the Pokemon to faint.

"Umbreon, Double-Edge!"

"Bellossom, Giga Drain!" As Dragagle's health was sapped away, it made it weaker and weaker, giving Umbreon the ability to knock out the dragon Pokemon.

Celosia now sent out her final Pokemon, Gourgeist while Bryony sent out hers, Scolipede, and it was the bug Pokemon that struck first.

"Megahorn!" she called out. Scolipede lowered its head, charging directly at Umbreon, the move successfully knocking out Umbreon in one hit, much to Chris' surprise.

"Stun Spore, Gourgeist." Gourgeist surrounded Bellossom with static spores which paralyzed the flower Pokemon. Once paralyzed, Scolipede charged after it, hitting it with the same Megahorn that beat Umbreon.

With their two Pokemon fainted, Chris and Charlotte sent out their Water Starter Pokemon, Greninja and Blastoise. Greninja out-speeded all other Pokemon, thus going first.

"Night Slash, Greninja!" Greninja charged after Gourgeist, slashing the pumpkin Pokemon harshly. Scolipede now attacked.

"Megahorn!" she demanded pointing at Greninja. Scolipede lowered its massive body, then charging directly at Greninja. The Pokemon dodged the attack quickly, jumping directly above Scolipede, then firing off a barrage of shurikens, trying to weaken it, which it did.

"Bullet Seed, Gourgeist!" called out Celosia pointing to Blastoise. Gourgeist fired a barrage of seeds at bullet speeds at Blastoise, but they all bounced directly off its outer shell, the tortoise scoffing at the attack.

"Hydro Pump, Blastoise!" Charlotte pointed at Scolipede, who's eyes shot wide open. Blastoise smirked, lowering its body and aiming its cannons directly at Scolipede. Blastoise fired off a direct blast of pressurized water at Scolipede, causing the bug Pokemon to faint. Chris reacted shortly after the sight.

"Night Slash, again!" Greninja speeded towards Gourgeist, slashing the grass type harshly causing it to fall shortly after Scolipede, ending the battle.

The two women stood in silence after the battle finished. The grunts stared at their two leaders, worried and afraid of Chris and Charlotte. Celosia and Bryony stared at each other, only seeing one possible way to win.

"MURDERER!" they screamed together. "HE'S BACK!"

Immediately, Chris gripped Charlotte's arm and sprinted passed the Team Flare members and into the cave. All the members of Team Flare then sent out their bird Pokemon and began flying away. He thought of flying on Talonflame, but remembered that the cold weather would kill him if he flew. Chris and Charlotte found solitude in the cave, but momentarily. He healed both Charlotte and his Pokemon with a handful of revives he'd bought from the Shalour Market weeks ago. Chris knew the police were coming, but he didn't know when. He glanced outside the cave shortly after escaping. All of Team Flare was gone, and there was no sight of the police.

"Third Beast," he murmured to himself.

His nostrils began to freeze, showing that the cave was getting colder. Chris approached Charlotte, huddling up next to her to keep warm. She began to shiver. Suddenly the sound of footsteps could be heard getting louder and louder. A massive Pokemon was near the two of them. Instinctively, Chris sent out Aggron to protect them. Aggron thought of roaring, but never did. Instead a snowy Pokemon appeared before Chris and Charlotte. Aggron walked up to the Pokemon, but it backed away shyly. Chris called off Aggron, now approaching the Pokemon.

"You're an Abomasnow," began Chris. The Pokemon showed its face again. "Can you help us?" he asked. Sirens could be heard in the distance approaching.

"God…how the hell am I gonna get to Olympia or Wulfric from here…," he said frustrated and out loud. Abomasnow became alert from Chris' statement. Chris turned to the Pokemon again.

"Olympia…," he said, but the Pokemon didn't respond.

"…Wulfric?" The Pokemon now responded to the name. "Wulfric…Wulfric...can you take me to Wulfric?" Abomasnow grabbed Chris' arm strongly, dragging him deeper into the cave, Charlotte trailed behind them.

Abomasnow had taken Chris to the deepest point of the cave, which was dimly lit by a couple of lanterns scattered around the floor of the cave. Abomasnow revealed to Chris and Charlotte a burrow. The Pokemon began leading them through the burrow.


	19. Chapter 18: The Three Beasts

Ten minutes passed since Chris and Charlotte entered the burrow. Abomasnow was still leading the two. The pokemon took a sharp turn to the right. Immediately, the two saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Upon reaching it, the burrow cut off, a body of water separating the burrow from a distant city. Chris and Charlotte gazed at it, then seeing a massive pink crystal just outside the city in the body of water. Etched into the center of the crystal were three distinct golden arches, each stretching larger than the previous. A bridge from the city was seen connecting to this crystal. Immediately, Chris recognized it from his phone.

"Anistar… we're in Anistar City," he said. He then turned to Abomasnow, who was now behind him. "Thank you," he said humbly to the Pokemon. Abomasnow responded with a smile.

"So how do we get to Anistar from here?" asked Charlotte. Abomasnow stepped in front of Chris and Charlotte, firing off an ice beam into the body of water creating a direct pathway to the city. Chris and Charlotte thanked the ice Pokemon one more time before heading off to Anistar on the icy bridge it created. On the way into the city, Chris and Charlotte passed by the giant crystal shard.

"What is that thing?" asked Charlotte.

"I don't know…Nobody knows apparently… It's just a pretty sight."

"You believe that?" she asked.

"No… that's why I'm going up to it," he responded.

Chris and Charlotte were now within the city, approaching the large crystal. As Chris approached the stone, he accidentally bumped into a man. To Chris' surprise, the man didn't stare at him, just walking past him lifelessly, like a zombie. Chris ignored him, now facing the crystal. It was a spectacle for a sight, jaw-dropping. Without thinking, he touched the massive crystal. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened.

Chris backed away, now staring at the arches on the stone.

"Charlotte. Touch it the same time as I do," he said.

She did, but again, nothing happened. Chris backed away, staring curiously at the stone.

"Maybe it is just a pretty sight…," he said quietly.

"Chris, we gotta get to the gym," said Charlotte staring at the multitude of citizens passing through the street. Chris agreed with her.

The two walked away from the crystal, but two Pokemon stayed behind. Beedrill and Aggron remained next to the stone, staring at it. Shortly after, Blastoise sprung from its pokeball, joining Aggron and Beedrill. Chris approached the stone again. He stood in-between his Pokemon, all three now touching the stone.

Suddenly the center of the crystal began to glow. Awestruck by it, Charlotte and her Blastoise touched the stone together as well. The light at the center of the crystal fired three beams, all into the hands of the Pokemon, except one. A gray stone was given to Aggron, a blue and beige one was given to Blastoise, but the last stone, a yellow and red one was given to Chris, not Beedrill, the bug Pokemon annoyed by this. Once all the stones were forged, the crystal returned to its previous form.

"Magnificent isn't it?" said a voice in the distance.

Olympia now joined the two trainers next to the crystal.

"Olympia? Isn't it dangerous to be speaking to me in public here?" asked Chris.

"Everyone here is under a hypnotic state," she responded.

"You can do that?" asked Charlotte amazed.

"Individually a mind cannot be controlled, but a hive mind is easy to hypnotize. But it will only last around a day or two."

"Thank you Olympia," said Chris.

"The stones you've received," she said changing the subject. "Those are Mega Stones."

Chris and Charlotte looked at her quizzically.

"Those stones give your Pokemon the ability to evolve into a stronger form of itself.., but only if the bond with its trainer is strong enough," said Olympia. The two trainers now looked at the Mega Stones.

"Chris, your Pokemon, Aggron. It has the potential to Mega Evolve…, and so does your Blastoise, Charlotte," continued the gym leader.

"And what about this?" asked Chris holding up the yellow and red stone. Olympia tilted her head.

"A Beedrillite? I've never heard of such a thing. Perhaps the bond you share may awaken this form that I've never seen. I can only hope to see it at my gym." Olympia left the two trainers, now heading back to her gym.

Before reaching the gym, Chris visited a Pokemon Center. Knowing that everyone was under a hypnosis allowed him to heal his Pokemon with ease, Charlotte healed her Pokemon as well. He then stocked up on revives, potions, and food at the mart neighboring the Pokemon Center. Once that was done, Chris and Charlotte sat down at one of the cafes, eating lunch.

"So…," began Charlotte sipping her tea. Chris stared blankly at his coffee, which was still cooling down.

"You enjoying being normal again?" she asked. Chris was silent, now sipping his coffee. All of their Pokemon were eating as well, with all the hypnotized people venturing on without noticing a thing.

"You notice my new Pokemon?" asked Charlotte trying to get Chris to speak. He turned his head, seeing the two Pokemon Charlotte added to her team; Flareon, and Dedenne. Chris then returned to sipping on his coffee.

"C'mon…," she groaned. "Lighten up, we're almost there. You're almost back to normal."

Chris finally spoke.

"I'm thinking," he responded sharply.

"About?" she responded.

"Charlotte…I'm not in the mood for games right now. I've got a lot of things on my mind right now."

She looked disgruntled.

"…You need work on your kissing…," she muttered. Anything on Chris' mind faded at that point.

"You're the first girl I kissed…," he responded annoyed. She began to chuckle.

"Really? I am? Guess I'm the lucky lady." Her trademark smirk had emerged.

"Don't inflate your ego too much."

"I'll try not to," she said deviantly.

Chris now smirked.

"You're a handful, you know that?" he said. Charlotte smirked. As he looked at her direction, Chris saw the gym in the background and began to focus on it, his smirk disappearing. Charlotte turned around, seeing the gym.

"You ready?" she asked. Chris looked at her, giving her a simple nod.

Chris joined Olympia in her gym after eating lunch. The two didn't speak to each other, instead sending out their Pokemon for a battle. Olympia sent out Meowstic. Chris sent in Talonflame.

"Meowstic, Fake Out!" called out Olympia instantly. Meowstic attacked Talonflame at incredible speeds, which caused Talonflame to flinch. Meowstic was then given another order.

"Meowstic, Psychic!" Meowstic blasted a direct blast of psychic energy at Talonflame, the move doing large amounts of damage to the bird Pokemon.

"Talonflame, Flare Blitz!" Talonflame engulfed itself in flames before flying directly at Meowstic at lightning speeds. The move did an intense amount of damage to Meowstic, while also damaging Talonflame. Now the bird Pokemon had the speed advantage.

"Talonflame, Aerial Ace!" Talonflame flew directly upward before flying directly to Meowstic, slashing the feline Pokemon in the process, causing it to faint.

Olympia returned Meowstic to its pokeball, then sending in her next Pokemon, Slowking. Chris knew Slowking had the type advantage, but still saw an opportunity.

"Talonflame, Brave Bird!" Talonflame looked back at Chris, somewhat confused. "Just like Aerial Ace, Talonflame," he said quietly to the Pokemon. Talonflame understood, flying directly upwards, then swooping down at speeds around 210 mph. The Pokemon then flew straight towards Slowking, tackling the water Pokemon with incredible strength and speed. Talonflame fainted from recoil, while Slowking survived the attack.

Chris returned Talonflame to its pokeball, then sending in his ace Pokemon, Beedrill.

"Beedrill, X-Scissor!" he called out. Beedrill charged after Slowking, slashing a clear X into its chest, causing the psychic Pokemon to faint in an instance.

Olympia returned Slowking to its pokeball, then sending out her last Pokemon, Alakazam. Olympia now raised her hand to her head. She tapped the center of her skull, touching her third eye which caused a flash of rainbow colors to surround Alakazam. Once it had faded, Alakazam reemerged, five spoons elevating above it in an arch. It began sitting, staring at Beedrill, emotionless. Beedrill stared back, intimidated.

"Chris," called out Olympia. "This is Mega Evolution! Watch its power!… Psychic, Alakazam!"

The spoons above Alakazam now pointed at Beedrill inflicting a psychic blast strong enough to knock Beedrill out instantly. Olympia looked a bit disgruntled, hoping Beedrill could possibly Mega Evolve.

Chris returned Beedrill to its Pokeball, now sending out Greninja. Greninja had always been a fast Pokemon, but Alakazam had the fastest speed of any Pokemon Chris had ever seen.

"Focus Blast, Alakazam!" Once again, the spoons above Alakazam began pointing at Greninja as a direct blast of pure fighting energy was fired upon Greninja. As it had always done, the frog Pokemon dodging the attack swiftly, but Alakazam didn't relent, continuing to fire off blast after blast at Greninja. When Alakazam stopped, the Pokemon closed its eyes, surrounding itself in glowing pillars, recovering all the energy it had lost from the barrage of attacks.

Seeing this, Chris saw the opportunity for a free attack.

"Night Slash," he ordered. Greninja charged towards Alakazam slashing at it, but the glowing pillars had protected Alakazam. Seeing that the shield was impenetrable, Greninja backed away, thinking. Alakazam and Greninja were at stand still. Alakazam's eyes were shut, still surrounded in the psychic pillars, while Greninja stared at it intensely. Suddenly, Alakazam's eyes shot wide open, and the pillars disappeared. Its eyes had turn a harsh blue, along with Olympia's.

"Focus Blast, Alakazam!" she called out. Alakazam's spoons angled towards Greninja as the psychic Pokemon fired off the same blast at the frog Pokemon, but Greninja hadn't dodged like before, instead looking directly behind Alakazam. As the move landed, Greninja faded in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke had faded, a log had been split apart from the attack, a substitute taking the damage. Greninja then reappeared behind Alakazam, round-house kicking the psychic Pokemon directly into the ground, causing it to faint, and bringing the battle to an end.

Olympia returned Alakazam to its pokeball, a smile from ear to ear.

"Even without Mega Evolution you're Pokemon are incredibly strong. I would say Team Flare will have some trouble with you."

She now approached Chris, a badge clearly seen in her hand.

"The seventh badge of the Kalos Region," he said to himself. He wanted to celebrate the badge, but he couldn't, as Olympia began to tell him about the directions to the next gym.

"Lastly is Wulfric," she said. "He's in Snowbelle City south of here. You'll have to cut through Couriway Town, and then its just Route 19."

"Thank you," said Chris and Charlotte in unity. As the two exited the gym, Chris stopped, then turning back to face Olympia.

"Wait, Olympia...," called out Chris.

The gym leader turned around.

"Anistar has a library right?"

She nodded.

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

Olympia smiled, holding up the key to the library.

"I'm the librarian."

The Anistar City library was the oldest remaining structure in the Kalos Region, firmly untouched by Lysandre. The building was home to modern novels, history books, and what Chris needed to see, ancient texts.

"We ran into Team Flare back at Dendemille Town," began Chris to Olympia. "They mentioned something about the third beast."

Olympia's eyes widened.

"Know anything about it?" asked Chris.

Olympia silently traveled to a far corner of the library, well out of Chris' sight. When she returned, she gave Chris a book, clearly ancient.

"You ever heard the story of the Kalos King?" she asked. Chris nodded.

"…And what about Xerneas or Yveltal?" asked Chris.

"They all tie together," responded Olympia. She opened the book, skimming multiple pages. She stopped on the page which held a black and red Pokemon with a definitive Y-shape body, and sharp blue eyes. "Yveltal was the first beast summoned by the ancient king. He possessed its power, using it to destroy his enemies."

"Possessed?" asked Chris.

"Yes," responded Olympia. "The king had sacrificed his own daughter. This sacrifice to Yveltal awoke the Pokemon, giving him full reign over it."

Chris and Charlotte were silent. Olympia skimmed a few pages onward, then revealing a blue stag Pokemon with a rainbow of colors on its antlers.

"When the king had finished his rule of Yveltal, he had seen the destruction he had caused to the land. Because of this, he approached the X-Shape tree, a barren, white bark tree with no leaves. He offered his own blood, which gave him control of the beast. He used it to restore the land back to its original form, but something began to happen. The reproduction of nature began to overpower, destroying the land, but in the opposite effect."

Olympia then became silent.

"So then what?" asked Charlotte. Olympia skimmed a few more pages, now revealing the third and final beast. It was a green serpent Pokemon with a black head. Hexagons wrapped around the Pokemon's body.

"What is that?" asked Chris and Charlotte in unison.

"That…. is Zygarde, the third beast."

Chris and Charlotte took a step back as Olympia continued. "Zygarde is the bringer of order, and is said to only appear when the world is out of balance."

"The world was in chaos, and that's why Zygarde appeared," said Chris. Olympia nodded.

"Zygarde found the king and punished him for bringing such chaos into the world. He was punished...with eternal life."

"That's a punishment?" asked Charlotte.

"Yes," responded Olympia. "The king had lost everything...his Pokemon that he loved. His daughter that he sacrificed. Now he would be punished for an eternity, to walk this earth constantly having to remember the horrific things he had done."

"Lysandre said it was God that punished him," said Chris. Olympia shook her head.

"He has part of it...," said Olympia. She then ventured back into the bookshelves. When she returned, she placed a Bible in front of Chris and Charlotte.

"In Genesis, it says that the earth was chaotic, without form, and God had brought life to the earth...However, life had become overwhelming, and began to consume the planet, so God established order amongst the world... The Bible's story is referring to these three beasts!"

Chris and Charlotte were silent.

"Yveltal was first, the beast of Chaos. Then was the beast of Life, Xerneas. And finally, the beast of Order, Zygarde. One cannot exist without the other."

"Why would they want to know where Zygarde is located?" pondered Chris.

"Perhaps they plan on harvesting the power of Xerneas or Yveltal. After all, Zygarde is the only Pokemon that stands in there way," said Olympia.

"We have to find it then," said Chris hastily. "If they find it first…they-"

"The legend says Zygarde disappeared into a vast cave in Kalos," responded the gym leader.

"Glittering?" said Chris turning to look at Charlotte. She nodded

"It wasn't there" she said.

"Then there was Frost Cavern…," said Chris. "What other caves are there left?" he asked turning to Olympia. Immediately she answered.

"There's Terminus Cave on Route 18 just south of here, but…."

"What?" asked Chris desperately.

"It collapsed years ago…, there's no way you can get into there."

"I'll have to try," said Chris.

"No!" demanded Olympia. "You have to see Wulfric, complete your training. Zygarde will show itself when there's an imbalance."

Chris looked at her furiously.

"There's been more than an imbalance!" he exclaimed. "I've been falsely accused of murder, and Team Flare is running around freely."

Olympia was silent.

"How…how is that balance or order?" he asked.

Olympia was still silent, letting Chris vent. A minute passed before he calmed down.

"You said the king sacrificed himself to control the beast?" asked Chris quietly.

"He made a blood bond," responded Olympia. She then showed Chris an ancient picture of the king. The man was seen placing his bloody hand onto the barren, white bark tree which ignited it.


	20. Chapter 19: The Road to Snowbelle

By the time they were done scurrying through Anistar's library, it was already nighttime. The weather was getting much colder, thus Olympia offered Chris and Charlotte a place to stay overnight. It was a hotel on the outside of the city, with just a bed and a bathroom within it. Chris lay in bed, watching from out the hotel window the citizens of the city walking around hypnotized. He then pulled out the psychic badge, staring at it. Charlotte now emerged from the bathroom, joining him in bed.

"It's weird," muttered Chris.

"What?" she responded.

"When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was collect these badges..., but now... they mean nothing to me."

Charlotte stared at him silently.

"You wanted to be a Pokemon Champion as a kid? Collect all the badges and beat the Elite Four?" she asked.

"I've always wanted to be a Champion..., but not for myself."

"That makes no sense," she responded. "The whole point of being a Champion is that you're glorified."

"That's not why I wanted to do it Charlotte."

Chris then pulled out two Pokeballs, Beedrill's and Umbreon's.

"I do it for them," he said quietly. "I made a promise to them that we would become champions."

Chris now began to chuckle.

"Guess I didn't expect it to go like this."

Charlotte once again stared at him silently. Chris continued to speak.

"Will I ever have a normal life again? Will I ever be able to walk around without having to hide my face?"

"We'll free your name," she said optimistically.

"Charlotte…," he said quietly. "If I don't live to achieve my dream…"

"Stop talking like that!" she demanded.

"Will you carry out my dream for me?"

She paused.

"W-why?" said Charlotte beginning to tear up. "Why are you talking like this, Chris? Like the end is near?"

Chris returned the badge to a case filled with all other badges, then turning to look at Charlotte. He thought about telling her about the vision he had in Reflection Cave, but he couldn't. Instead he stared into her sea blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to scare you like that…"

"We're gonna clear your name and take down Team Flare," she declared. Chris remained silent, still hiding the vision from her. She then nudged herself closer to him. "And you will be the Champion of the Kalos region."

Chris smiled.

"Did I ever say thank you to you?" asked Chris softly. His change in tone confused Charlotte.

"We'll get to Snowbelle tomorrow," she responded. "G'night."

Chris turned off the lamp on the night table, as the two slept back to back, both their eyes open.

It was now six in the morning.

Chris had barely slept, and the sight of sunlight was a welcoming sight. He exited the bed, Charlotte still sleeping. He washed his face, then exiting the hotel room to get a coffee. The citizens of Anistar were still under the hypnotic state, but it was wearing down on them. Soon, everyone would return to their right minds. When he returned to the hotel, Charlotte was awake, stretching across the entire bed. Chris held a cup of tea, extending it out to her.

"Breakfast in bed?" she said with a smirk.

"Tea," responded Chris bluntly.

"I wasn't even that hungry," she said continuing to smirk. As she sipped on it, Chris sat on the bed, looking at his phone, scanning the Kalos map. He was silent, dead silent, eventually staring at a closed phone.

"You alright?" asked Charlotte putting down the tea.

"No," mumbled Chris.

"I could tell from last night... wanna talk about it?"

"I'd prefer we get on the road," he continued in his blunt tone.

"Would you quit being so hasty Chris. Everyone here is hypnotized…, we're fine."

Chris clenched his feet, his teeth grinding on one another.

"No! No everything is not fine Charlotte."

She noticed bags under his eyes.

"We're running out of time. If they find the three beasts before I stop them…, only God knows what'll happen. Literally..."

"So…, go fight them," she said bluntly.

"And if I lose?" he responded.

"Well then-"

"If I lose!?" he asked louder.

"Then…" A brief silence came by the two. A smirk then reemerged on her face. "Then we're all going to hell in a hand basket."

"Charlotte..."

"If shit hits the fan...I'll be ready to go."

Hearing her talk like that frustrated Chris even more. He sunk his head into his arms.

"That's the problem," he mumbled. Charlotte stared at him confused.

"In Reflection Cave...I saw this vision. I saw two women, each standing by my side. One began to fall, as Yveltal rose from it..."

Charlotte was silent.

"And what about the other woman?" she then asked.

"She stood next to me, leaning on my shoulder."

Charlotte began to roll her eyes.

"You think I'm going to be sacrificed to Yveltal?"

"Charlotte..."

She now leaned against his shoulder.

"Would it make you feel better to say I'm not gonna die?"

Chris was silent.

"Fine...let me finish my tea, and we'll hit the road."

Once Charlotte finished her tea, the two set off to Snowbelle City. Upon leaving Anistar City, the two entered Route 18, which lay south of the city. Immediately they were met by steep cliffs with roped wooden bridges built across from one another. Chris walked onto the bridge immediately, overcoming his fear of heights long ago, whereas Charlotte shuttered at the idea.

"You afraid of heights?" asked Chris.

She refused to answer, annoying him.

"C'mon we're burning time."

Finally, Charlotte responded.

"I'll just fly over it with Jigglypuff."

"Yeah and end up like an icicle like Team Flare," responded Chris.

"I'll literally fly right next to the bridge," she said stubbornly.

"Charlotte…we're going to a place called Snowbelle City…it's gonna be cold. C'mon…, just overcome your fears."

The two of them stared at each other silently, neither of them moving an inch. It was a tug of war of stubbornness, with Charlotte winning.

"Alright…just hold my hand, and close your eyes," said Chris.

She agreed, and the two traveled across the bridge. Once passed the first bridge, Charlotte took a deep breathe, Chris chuckling.

"What?" she asked. Chris pointed directly ahead of him, a group of ten to twenty bridges stretching across the cliff landscape. Charlotte sighed. As they continued through the bridges, Chris scanned the route trying to find Terminus Cave, but couldn't find it. He then stared down one of the bridges.

"Must be down there," he thought to himself. As he looked deeper into the abyss, he noticed the bodies of Celosia and Bryony, motionless. He wanted to head down there, but he saw Charlotte nervously gripping onto him with her eyes closed. He then decided to ignore the abyss and head towards Snowbelle. After around twenty minutes of bridge walking, the two arrived at the halfway point to Snowbelle City, Couriway Town.

Couriway, like Dendemille Town, was a rural town with minimal to it, except a train stop. Despite this, Chris was still alert. Now that they were out of Anistar City, people could notice him if he wasn't careful. Chris flipped on a beanie he purchased back in Anistar as he walked through the town, to hide his spiky hair. The two traveled through Couriway quickly. He had sped walk through the town with ease, no one noticing who he was. Eventually the exit was in sight. A single building was the only thing left for Chris to pass before it was a straight shot to the exit. Just as he reached the end of the building, a woman in a bright pink winter jacket emerged from the corner, in an equal hurry. The two bumped into each other.

"Shit," he thought to himself.

"Sorry," said the woman, a tone he recognized.

"Oh shit, shit, shit."

He didn't say anything in response, instead trying to walk away, but the damage was already done. She had seen his eyes.

"You!" she stated aggressively.

"Serena…," said Chris quietly. He tried booking it to the exit, but the ground around him rose up entrapping him. Next to Serena was a Rhyperior.

"You murderer!" she exclaimed garnering the attention of the town. "You killed Shauna!"

"No I didn't," responded Chris quietly. He stretched his arms out trying to calm her down.

"You killed her...you killed her, and you're not dead!?" she said with an aggresive look on her, a sight Chris had never seen before.

"Serena, calm down," pleaded Chris.

"No, I won't calm down... I'm going to finish this here!"

Serena ordered in her first Pokemon, Rhyperior. Chris sent out Aggron. Steam burst from the steel Pokemon's nostrils. Chris glanced behind Serena, seeing multiple civilians using their phones, likely recording him.

"Serena, let's talk this out."

"EARTHQUAKE!" she roared.

Rhyperior stomped its legs into the ground, causing it to shake viciously, damaging Aggron severely.

"Serena, please. I'm not your enemy."

"SHUT UP!"

Aggron now roared at Chris, demanding an order.

"Iron Head, Aggron!" Aggron lowered its head, now charging directly at Rhyperior. Rhyperior caught Aggron by its horns, and began bashing its fist into Aggron's back, but the steel plates on its back protected it. Rhyperior now pushed Aggron away, separating the two.

"Earthquake, Rhyperior!"

"Earthquake, Aggron!"

The two rock types roared at one another, causing the ground to shake viciously. The earthquakes combined caused the ground to fissure, damaging both Aggron and Rhyperior equally. Both tried to rise to their feet to fight, but both were too exhausted to fight.

Both trainers returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Serena sent out her next Pokemon, Cloyster. Chris sent in Umbreon, who had the speed advantage. Serena stared at the feline Pokemon angrily.

"Crunch, Umbreon!" called out Chris. Umbreon charged towards Cloyster attempting to bite down on the center of the Pokemon. Just as Umbreon was about to pounce on it, the bivalve Pokemon clamped its shell shut, allowing Umbreon to only attack the outer shell of Cloyster. It did, but the attack did little to nothing to harm Cloyster.

"Icicle Crash!" called out Serena. Cloyster froze the moisture above Umbreon creating icicles which began raining down on the feline Pokemon, damaging the Pokemon severely.

"Double-Edge!" called out Chris trying to see if anything physical could wear down Cloyster. As the feline Pokemon charged after Cloyster, once again the bivalve Pokemon clamped its shell, giving Umbreon no clear attack except the shell of Cloyster, once again the move doing minimal to injure Cloyster.

"Hydro Pump, Cloyster!" Cloyster fired off a direct blast of pressurized water at Umbreon, the move doing a large amount to the dark type Pokemon. As Umbreon rose to its feet, it roared at Cloyster, the bivalve snickering in response.

"Hey Umbreon," called out Chris, getting the Pokemon's attention. "Remember what pops said about Cloysters, 'You'd be stupid to attack them up close'. Cloyster's are incredible defensively…, but they can't defend a special attacking move."

Cloyster's eyes shot wide open.

"Dark Pulse!" Umbreon roared once more at Cloyster, surrounding it in a pulse of dark aura. Cloyster closed its shell, hoping to dodge the attack, but to no success. The bivalve fainted shortly after the attack landed.

Serena returned Cloyster to its Pokeball, staring at it angrily.

"Useless Pokemon," she muttered. Serena then sent out her next Pokemon, Absol.

"I'll finish you here!" she exclaimed to Chris. Serena raised her right arm, revealing a Mega Bracelet. She tapped the stone at the center of her bracelet…, but nothing happened. Chris stared at her in confusion.

"You can't Mega Evolve your Pokemon, Serena," he said. "You're bond isn't strong enough."

"Shut up! I'll beat you without it! X-Scissor, Absol!" Absol charged towards Umbreon, slashing the Pokemon harshly, causing the Pokemon to bleed and eventually faint. Seeing its friend bleeding, Beedrill sprung out of its Pokeball staring at Serena with an equal amount of rage. Chris began to notice police sirens in the distance.

"Beedrill, X-Scissor!" called out Chris. Beedrill speeded towards Absol, slicing a direct X into the dark type Pokemon's fur, immediately causing it to faint. Serena began to break down mentally.

"Why!? Why can't I beat your Pokemon!? Even that fucking bug!?"

"Serena," said Chris quietly. She then pulled out a Pokeball… her last Pokeball.

"I…will…avenge…my…friend!" She then tossed the Pokeball revealing the final evolution of her starter Pokemon, Delphox.

Immediately after being sent out, Delphox teleported behind Chris, pulling out a twig from its tail and freezing Chris in place, with the move psyshock. Angered, Beedrill charged after the fire Pokemon, but Delphox countered, incinerating the bug Pokemon. Beedrill lay on the ground exhausted and angered, banging on the ground multiple times. Chris was still frozen in place.

"Dammit Serena, let me go!" he shouted. Serena stared at him. There was no emotion left in her but rage. She then focused her attention to Charlotte.

"You're helping him, aren't you!?" she shouted at Charlotte.

"Serena, it wasn't Chris," responded Charlotte. Delphox now stared at her.

"SHUT UP!" exclaimed Serena. Delphox now trapped Charlotte, while also keeping Chris trapped.

"Dammit Serena! Stop!" he cried out.

"You took my best friend from me," she muttered.

"No, dammit Serena I didn't kill her!"

"You care about her a lot don't you?" she asked. Serena had a psychotic look on her face now. "Delphox...," she then mumbled.

Delphox roared, now beginning to choke Charlotte.

"Chris," called out Charlotte losing her breathe.

"Charlotte! Serena stop!"

"You took my best friend…you took my best friend," she continued to repeat.

"I DIDN'T FUCKING KILL SHAUNA!" he cried out desperately. Serena paused for a moment, but Delphox continued to choke Charlotte. Chris could see her life fade from her eyes. Memories began running rampant through Chris' head. He began remembering the good memories he and Charlotte had. He remembered seeing her for the first time in Santalune City, saving her at Glittering Cave, battling her at the Tower of Mastery, and kissing her. Last was the memory of the vision at Reflection Cave. He remembered how he saw one of the women falling lifelessly to the ground.

"Charlotte," he muttered watching her slowly die. In a final act of desperation, all of Chris' Pokemon broke free of their Pokeballs, now aiming at Delphox, all the attacks lead by Greninja.

Greninja slashed Delphox ballistically with swords forged from water, causing the psychic Pokemon to release Charlotte. Her body fell lifelessly to the ground, in the exact same way as the vision. Tyrantrum followed up, slamming its massive tail down onto Delphox injuring it even more. Talonflame then swooped down from the air, slashing the fox Pokemon viciously. Even when Delphox had fainted, his Pokemon still attacked, until Chris finally called off the attack.

Serena sank to her knees, bawling.

"Why…why…why…why…," she repeated to herself.

Chris sprinted to Charlotte. She was unconscious as Chris began to use CPR, but to no effect.

"No c'mon no. No!" he repeated to himself. Chris now turned his attention to the townsfolk, all of which were still watching him.

"So this is it huh? I'm the bad guy...I'm the monster!" he shouted to the townspeople. He now turned to look at Serena.

"I DIDN'T KILL HER!" he exclaimed to everyone.

"Then prove it?" said Serena quietly. Chris stared at her harshly.

"I will..., and I will put that piece of shit Lysandre behind bars."

"Lysandre?" she said quizzically.

"Lysandre set me up," muttered Chris.

"Bullshit!" exclaimed Serena.

"Look back at the footage! Umbreon has circular eyes, not sharp red ones. That's a Houndoom. You've been lied to since the beginning Serena."

The police sirens were now at their loudest. As Chris turned to face the townspeople, he could now see multiple officers.

"FREEZE!"

"STOP!"

"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

Chris returned all his Pokemon to their pokeballs, then picking up Charlotte's body and sprinting south to Route 19.

Talonflame had created a fire spin, which allowed Chris to gain some distance on the police. Eventually, he found refuge in a horde of bushes, where he continued to give CPR to Charlotte. She came to, coughing harshly as she opened her eyes.

"Chris," she said quietly.

"Thank God," he mumbled.

"Where are we?" she then asked.

"C'mon, we gotta move."

"Water, I need water," she said in a weak tone. Chris reached into his bag, pulling out a bottle of water. He held her up as she drank from the bottle. Charlotte then lay on the grass again.

"Dammit, we gotta move, now."

Chris now picked her up, carrying her as he did before. Whenever the police got close to Chris, Talonflame's fire spin was used to establish distance.

After twenty minutes of walking, Chris noticed the atmosphere had become much colder.

"We must be close," he said to himself.


	21. Chapter 20: The Snowbelle Gym

Chris stood in front of a massive wooden gate, painted red. Upon passing through it, Chris had entered Snowbelle City. Three massive mountains enclosed the city, with heaps of snow accumulating on the sides of the street. Despite Snowbelle being called a city, the streets were desolate without another person in sight. Chris and Charlotte, whom was now walking on her own, approached the center of the city, where an array of benches were. Chris sat on one of them, admiring the natural landscapes.

"It's beautiful," he whispered to himself.

Chris' sight seeing ended abruptly when a familiar Pokemon blocked his view. Standing in front of him was an Abomasnow, awfully similar to the one back at Frost Cavern. It tapped Chris on his shoulder harshly, by accident.

"Wulfric," he said to the Pokemon. Immediately, Abomasnow grabbed Chris' arm similar to how it did back in the Frost Cavern, dragging him to the gym, Charlotte trailing behind them.

Abomasnow returned to the gym, but Chris and Charlotte were missing.

"Where are they?" asked Wulfric. Abomasnow stared at him, unsure as to where the two went.

Just moments later, the two arrived bickering with one another.

"I told you it was west of the city!" exclaimed Charlotte.

"You said east first! I said west!" responded Chris.

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"ENOUGH!" exclaimed Wulfric. "You two arguing back and forth like children… Do you want to train or pout?"

Chris straightened himself upon seeing him.

"Yes sir, I'd like to train," he said clearly.

"Good…, and what of you?" asked Wulfric looking at Charlotte. She took a step back initially.

"Me? Well I'm just traveling with Chris."

"Yes I know that, but he's prepared to take a dangerous path…are you?"

"Well I-"

"Are you?" repeated Wulfric. Charlotte took a deep breathe before answering.

"Yes sir. I'm ready."

"Good then you'll train with him."

"What?" they asked in unison.

Wulfric nodded his head.

"So…when does training start?" asked Chris.

"Right now…," responded Wulfric. "But! You will use only one Pokemon, your Aggron."

"But my Aggron's fainted," responded Chris.

Wulfric tossed a revive to Chris, whom used it on his Pokemon immediately.

"Ready to battle now?"

Chris sent in Aggron, but Wulfric didn't send in any Pokemon, instead nudging his fingers slightly ordering Abomasnow into the battle.

"He's gotten to like you two," said Wulfric looking at Abomasnow.

"Wait, why do you only want Aggron to fight?" asked Chris.

"Because…I don't care about you beating my team or not…you've done that seven times now. If you want to become stronger… you have to master Mega Evolution."

"But Beedrill can Mega Evolve as well?"

"It can?" asked Wulfric surprised.

"Then lets see it. First Beedrill then Aggron."

Aggron left the battlefield as Chris sent out Beedrill. Immediately he tapped the stone on his Mega Bracelet, but nothing happened. Abomasnow then tackled directly into Beedrill inciting a battle. Though Beedrill was initially angry, the stone Beedrill had or the stone in Chris' bracelet didn't react. Abomasnow continued attacking Beedrill.

"Mega Evolution is the ultimate bond between a trainer and his Pokemon. A bond formed during the heat of battle that only lasts a short time," said Wulfric.

"Maybe the battle isn't intense enough…," mumbled the gym leader to himself. He then tapped his Mega Stone, mega evolving Abomasnow. A rainbow aura surrounded Abomasnow briefly. Once it had faded, Abomasnow sunk onto all fours, its fur much thicker, with massive pillars of ice expanding from its back. The Pokemon began blasting multiple shards of ice at Beedrill, most of which caused Beedrill to faint.

"Alright…start over," said Wulfric tossing Chris a revive.

Hours had passed as the two continued to battle.

Wulfric tossed his tenth revive to Chris to use on Beedrill only for the bug Pokemon to faint once again. Hours of training wore down the elder Wulfric.

"Alright, lets try the other Pokemon now," said Wulfric pointing to Aggron. Chris pulled the bug Pokemon out of the battle, sending in Aggron.

"Beedrill can Mega Evolve I promise," said Chris.

"I'm sure he can," responded Wulfric. "But it won't in this battle, and fighting it again is futile... Use Aggron."

"Iron Head, Aggron!" called out Chris immediately after. The steel behemoth charged towards Abomasnow with its head lowered, but the ice type Pokemon grabbed it by its horn, then tossing the Pokemon back towards Chris. As Aggron rose to its feet, Abomasnow surrounded its fist in ice, hooking the left side of Aggron's face. Aggron fell to the ground, irritated. Upon rising back to its feet, steam burst from its nostrils, as Chris noticed the stone in his Mega Bracelet glowing minimally. He tried tapping it, but the stone didn't respond.

"Something's not right here," thought Wulfric. "How is it not Mega Evolving yet? Is the bond between him and his Pokemon not strong enough?"

Then an idea came to his head.

"Ice Shard, Abomasnow," he called out. Wulfric then winked to the Pokemon, scaring Abomasnow. "Do it," he ordered. Abomansow forged one shard of ice, and fired it…directly at Chris. Reacting instinctively, Aggron forced itself in front of Chris, deflecting the shard, and saving his life.

"What the hell are you doing!?" exclaimed Chris.

"Check the stone!" responded Wulfric. Aggron stared down Wulfric angrily, the stone now glowing. Chris tapped the stone once more, a rainbow aura now surrounding Aggron. Once it had faded, Aggron still remained in its same form. Wulfric groaned.

"Alright! Stop the fight!" he called out. He then motioned to Charlotte. "I wanna see if you're having the same problem."

Chris watched in the background as Charlotte and Wulfric scrimmaged. Blastoise struggled to hold its own due to a lack of type advantage, but the Pokemon managed. On Charlotte's first attempt to Mega Evolve the Pokemon, it failed with Blastoise fainting shortly afterwards. When the two rematched, Abomasnow fired off its frozen breathe into the moisture filled air, causing icicles to form above Charlotte and began to fall. Chris reacted, racing towards Charlotte.

"Don't come near her!" demanded Wulfric. To protect its trainer, Blastoise fired off a blast of scalding hot water at the icicles, causing them to melt. Charlotte's Mega Bracelet began glowing. She slammed her palm onto the stone surrounding Blastoise in a rainbow aura for multiple seconds. When it subsided, Blastoise had taken on a new form. The two cannons on its back were now shifted to its wrists with a single massive cannon laying on its back. Wulfric smiled at the sight of it. Shortly afterwards, Charlotte gave an order.

"Flash Cannon, Blastoise!" Blastoise lowered its already massive body, aiming its massive cannon at Abomasnow. A blast of flashing light was fired off at Abomasnow, the attack causing Abomasnow to faint.

Wulfric applauded Charlotte.

"Well done! You have a close bond with your Pokemon, and it showed. It did take some struggling the first time, but you managed to overcome it."

Chris looked at the two in the distance, envious. Wulfric now turned to him.

"I can't tell for the life of me what is wrong with your Pokemon…unless."

"What?" asked Chris.

"Unless…your bond isn't strong enough with them."

Chris looked insulted.

"Of course its strong enough," responded Chris pridefully.

"Don't let your pride cloud your mind," responded the elderly gym leader.

Chris now looked at Aggron and Beedrill. Doubt began to fill his mind.

"It can't be that…," he muttered.

"Let's test it again, then."

Chris sent in Aggron, on Wulfric's demand. Wulfric used a revive, bringing his Abomasnow back to fighting form.

"Iron Head, Aggron!" Aggron charged towards Abomasnow intentionally looking to avoid the Pokemon's arms. In response, Abomasnow raised its right arm, surrounding it in a green log-like shape and slamming it down on Aggron. The steel Pokemon was slammed to the ground, but rose to its feet instantly after, hauling a barrage of punches at Abomasnow, all doing minimal to damage the ice Pokemon. Abomasnow then surrounded its arms both now in the green log-like shape, whipping Aggron multiple feet back towards Chris. He now noticed the Mega Bracelet beginning to glow. Despite seeing it, Chris waited, thinking that if he pressed it too early, Aggron wouldn't Mega Evolve. As the steel type rose to its feet once again, it took its right arm, beating it over its chest.

"Rock Slide, Aggron!" called out Chris. Aggron got down on all-fours, roaring at Abomasnow as a barrage of boulders began piling up on Abomasnow. The ice Pokemon began to shatter the boulders as Aggron began charging towards Abomasnow with its iron head tilted down. As the steel Pokemon charged directly into Abomasnow, the two were sent flying opposite directions. Aggron rose to its feet, while Abomasnow didn't. Aggron roared, a clear smirk on Wulfric's face.

"Now," thought Chris to himself.

He tapped the Mega Stone, the rainbow aura began surrounding Aggron like it did Blastoise. A layer of steel could be seen surrounding Aggron, but the aura faded too quickly and its metamorphosis was seized. Despite the failure to Mega Evolve, Aggron had successfully defeated Mega Abomasnow.

Wulfric returned the ice Pokemon to its Pokeball, now walking towards Chris, his fist closed. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe. Once he opened his fist, he revealed the eighth gym badge, handing it to Chris.

"But…I failed?" said Chris.

"True... You may not have been able to Mega Evolve your Pokemon yourself, but… your Pokemon did show grit and strength to defeat a Mega Evolved Pokemon… I believe you're ready. Go get your name cleared, son."

Chris thanked the gym leader, now looking at the badge. It seemed bitter sweet to him. Though he had all eight gym badges, he felt that he failed what Wulfric ultimately was testing him for. Once they left the gym, Charlotte nudged him on the shoulder.

"What now?" she asked. Chris looked to his phone reading the time, '5:42'.

"We clear my name," he responded, the two smiling at each other.

Chris and Charlotte headed west of Snowbelle City which took the two to Route 21, a connection route to Route 22, which lead to Santalune City. Chris sent out Talonflame, Charlotte sent out Jigglypuff, and the two flew back to the Pokemon League to meet with Diantha and the remaining Elite Four. As Chris entered the massive building, immediately something was off.

It was silent, as if it were abandoned. Chris called out.

"Diantha!"

No response.

He now approached the dining hall where he could hear the faint sounds of groaning. He now began to rush into the room, his mind racing.

As he entered the dining hall, it was in shambles. Burn marks were seen distinctly on the marble floor and columns. The wooden table was burned to a crisp as all the elite four members lay on the ground, one groaning. He was a blonde-haired man with his water Pokemon around him charred and unconscious. Chris approached the man, seeing a burn mark on his chest.

"What happened?" asked Chris.

"Malva..," he whispered. "Malva took the film…" He groaned with pain as Chris set him down, his heart sunk.

"Malva?" asked Chris. "Malva…the fire type user... The Elite Four member..."

The blonde-haired man nodded. Chris immediately banged his fists continually on the marble floor.

"What is it?" asked Charlotte rushing to Chris now.

"They took the film," said Chris defeated. "Its probably burned up somewhere…"

"But you know who took it don't you?" said Charlotte.

"Forget it... they have the film... I'm a murderer forever now."

Charlotte scanned the building, now approaching the blonde-haired man.

"Where's Diantha?" she asked.

"She went after Malva," he said still gripping his wound. Chris now rose to his feet, heading towards the exit.

"Call an ambulance," said Chris to Charlotte.

"But the police," she responded.

"I'll be long gone by then," said Chris.


	22. Chapter 21: The Cafe

Chris returned to Lumiose City, hiding his face and hair with the same cheap hoodie from before. Once within the city, Chris took refuge in the alleyways, venturing through them until he found his way to Lysandre's red cafe. Before he entered the cafe, he saw that the sun had set, nighttime rapidly approaching. He then entered the cafe only to be greeted by a single bartender.

"Good evening. What can I get you?" he asked in a jolly tone.

Chris stared up at him, his green eyes immediately recognized. Before the bartender could contact anyone, Beedrill flew over the counter, stabbing its stinger into the bartender, injecting a toxin which caused the bartender to fall unconscious. Chris now ventured farther into the cafe, retracing his steps which had led him to the hideout beneath the innocent were previously damp concrete floors were now polished black tiles.

Deep in the base, Lysandre sat in a large V-shaped chair next to a fire place, sipping on champagne, a smile on his face. Next to him lay the lion Pokemon, Pyroar, in a deep sleep.

"To rebirth," he said to himself. Shortly after his toast, Lysandre was confronted by one of Team Flare's scientists, Serena directly next to him. Lysandre shot out of his chair when he saw her.

"Serena…how are you?" he asked.

"Fine…," she responded quietly. "Um... Mr. Lysandre."

"What is it?" he said with the same smile.

"Do... do you mind if I see the laptop with the camera footage from when Shauna died, please?"

Lysandre seemed hesitant.

"Why do you want to see it again? Are you having doubts Serena?"

"No-no, its just that…"

She began to tear up.

"I just want to see my friend one more time."

Not willing to argue anymore, Lysandre agreed to give her his laptop. Serena began to exit the hideout.

"Round eyes," she murmured to herself.

"Wait," called out Lysandre.

Serena froze, staring at him as if she were in trouble. Despite this feeling, Lysandre still had a warm smile on his face.

"Eternal beauty will be here soon enough, come I want you to see it."

Lysandre now pointed to the fireplace which began rotating 180 degrees to reveal a hidden teleportation device.

"I'll join you in the ark soon," he continued.

Serena, not wanting to get into more trouble, entered the teleporter.

Lysandre now sat in his chair again, watching the fireplace rotate back into place. He sipped on his champagne in peace, until he was disturbed by footsteps clicking on the tiled floor. He turned his chair around to see who was there, much to his surprise.

"Chris?" he said somewhat frightened.

"You son of a bitch," said Chris quietly but angrily. "You set me up!"

"My my such accusations," responded Lysandre smirking. "Do you have any proof?" he said mocking Chris.

"The tape... I know you burned it, and that bitch Malva..."

"Oh… such harsh words for a women."

Lysandre then motioned two fingers towards himself. Malva now joined him. She had bright pink hair, paired with a skin tight black top and red pants. Her high heels made a click which were immediately recognized by Chris' Pokemon. Beedrill stared at Malva angrily, Chris looked at its burn mark, now putting two and two together. Malva chuckled.

"I had to restrain myself from laughing when you said Diantha was the only person you could trust," said Malva mocking Chris as well.

"Diantha betrayed me as well?" he asked.

"No…, she did put up quite a fight though…"

"Charlotte warned you," intervened Lysandre. "…. But you wouldn't listen."

Malva then sent out the Pokemon responsible for Beedrill's burns, Houndoom. All six of Chris' Pokemon shot out of their Pokeballs now.

"You can't beat them all," said Chris to Malva, but she was still smiling.

"I wasn't planning on."

Suddenly, all of Chris' Pokemon were rooted to the ground, leaving him standing all alone. The Pokemon Cacturne was now revealed to Chris, and the one controlling the roots.

"This time…I'll make sure to finish the job… Houndoom!" she said garnering the Pokemon's attention. "…Kill."

Houndoom charged towards Chris pouncing on him. His Pokemon stared on, unable to do anything.

Houndoom stared down Chris, bringing its jaws towards his face. Just before it bit him, the hound was blasted directly into the walls of the base by a geyser's worth of water. In shock, both Malva and Lysandre stared behind Chris. Charlotte had arrived at the hideout with her typical smirk as she and Blastoise stood next to Chris. Lysandre no longer had a smirk on his face, but was more irate, the Pyroar laying at his side now awoke, ready for battle. He calmed the Pokemon immediately.

"Now is not our time," he whispered. Malva looked at Charlotte, rage building up in her.

"You! You little bitch!" exclaimed the Elite Four member.

Charlotte smirked despite the insult.

"I'll make sure to burn that smirk off your pretty little face," continued Malva.

"I doubt you'll even be able to," responded Charlotte looking at Blastoise. Malva tossed a Pokeball, beginning a battle.

"You better get out of here," said Malva looking at Lysandre.

"I'd prefer to watch," he responded. "Wipe the smirk off her face, Malva."

She felt a heap of pressure being hauled onto her.

Malva had sent out Chandelure, Charlotte ordering in Blastoise. It was the ghost Pokemon that attacked first.

"Energy Ball, Chandelure!" Chandelure stored up and fired off a ball of green energy at Blastoise. The blast, combined with Chandelure's strength did a large amount of damage to Blastoise, toppling it over. As the tortoise rose to its feet it was clearly angry, Charlotte smirking.

"Why are you smirking?" demanded Malva. Without saying another word, Charlotte tapped the Mega Stone in her bracelet, a rainbow aura beginning to surround Blastoise. When it disappeared, Blastoise reappeared with its third cannon directly above its head, locking eyes directly with Chandelure.

"Hydro Pump!" she called out. All three of Blastoise's cannons fired off strong blasts of water, extinguishing the chandelier in seconds.

Malva returned the chandelier Pokemon to its Pokeball, now sending in her next Pokemon, Cacturne. The cactus Pokemon attacked first over Blastoise.

"Needle Arm, Cacturne!" Cacturne charged towards Blastoise, raising its spiky arm and punching directly into the gut of Blastoise, the move doing enough to cause her ace Pokemon to faint. Despite the loss, Charlotte didn't fret. She returned the Pokemon to its Pokeball, then sending out her next Pokemon.

As she tossed the Pokeball, nothing came out of it. She then turned around to see the Pokemon nibbling on the wires of the hideout.

"Dedenne, come here," said Charlotte gently. The small gerbil pokemon slowly hopped towards Charlotte, a happy look on its face.

"You expect me to fight with that thing?" said Malva mocking Dedenne, who's smile had disappeared.

"Dedenne," said Charlotte, getting the Pokemon's attention. "Play Rough!" A smile returned to the gerbil's face as it charged towards Cacturne.

The electric Pokemon tackled, bit, shocked, and gnawed on Cacturne at an excessive and fast rate. This barrage of attacks caused Cacturne to faint, as Lysandre looked on in surprise and annoyance.

The pressure began to build up on Malva.

With the cactus Pokemon now unconscious, Chris' Pokemon were freed from its roots.

Malva returned Cacturne to its Pokeball, now sending out her final Pokemon, Magmortar.

"Fire Blast," she demanded immediately. Without hesitation, Magmortar aimed one of its two cannon arms at Dedenne, blasting a five-pointed blaze at the gerbil, who was too small to avoid the attack. The blast charred the electric type causing it to faint immediately.

Charlotte returned Dedenne to its Pokeball, then sending out her next Pokemon, a gamble in her eyes, Aurorus. Malva looked back to Lysandre, who was staring at her angrily. Nervously, she called out an order.

"Fire Blast again!" Magmortar now aimed two cannon arms at the nine foot tall sauropod, firing off the same five-pointed blast. In response, Charlotte called out her order.  
"Ice Beam…, go for the blast!" Aurorus obeyed, firing a direct beam of ice at the blast. Though the fire overpowered the ice, the melted ice had weakened the fire, doing much less damage to Aurorus.

"Fire Blast again!"

"Ancientpower," said Charlotte in response. Aurorus, began surrounding itself in floating rocks before firing them off like artillery at Magmortar. Immediately, Aurorus fired the rocks at Magmortar's cannon arms, successfully blocking them and making Magmortar unable to attack. Aurorus then heaved the remaining boulders at Magmortar, causing the Pokemon to faint, and for the battle to come to an end.

Malva fell to her knees. She tried to look at Lysandre, but he didn't bother to look at her. Instead he began laughing.

"That was an entertaining battle...," said Lysandre.

"This ends here!" shouted Chris.

"No... it doesn't," he responded.

Lysandre then held up the film with the number, '72' written directly on it. He laughed as he held it up.

"The film," said Chris quietly. In the background, the fireplace began rotating.

"Now, I have a new world to establish," said Lysandre.

"Oh no you don't," responded Chris. All six of his Pokemon began to quickly approach Lysandre. Suddenly, multiple footsteps could be heard in the distance. Lysandre stared at two scientists, smiling at the sight of them, but Chris and Charlotte couldn't see them.

"Our plan is almost complete... and you must protect it."

The footsteps got louder and eventually, two Professors were presented in front of Chris and Charlotte.

"Grandpa?" said Chris heartbroken.


	23. Chapter 22: Clash of Titans

Chris stared at his grandfather, his eyes open and his heart shattered.

"You're with them," mumbled Chris. "All this time..."

"Sycamore," called out Lysandre. "You're with me... And Oak…" Lysandre turned around, the teleporter in clear sight. "Take care of them."

Lysandre and Sycamore ventured into the teleporter, which was sealed off after entering it. Chris was frozen in place. Charlotte watched the two silently.

"I can explain Chris," began the Professor.

"When I was in court," he responded. His voice began to crack as tears streamed in unison down his cheeks. "You worked with them... You knew I was innocent.

"Chris I-"

"YOU BETRAYED YOUR ONLY GRANDSON!" he screamed. Oak clenched his fist, his teeth grinded as he shouted back.

"I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU CHRIS!"

He was silenced.

"This world is evil... a shit hole that deserves to be destroyed."

Chris shook his head in disgust.

"God had done it once... why not again?" responded his grandfather.

"Why grandpa... why do this?"

Oak was silent, tears rolling down his cheeks now.

"I can bring back my son with the power of Xerneas. Chris... I can bring your father back."

Oak stretched his hand out, as Chris pulled away from him.

"No-no, it's not natural," responded the grandson.

Once again Oak clenched his fist in anger.

"He died in a car crash... It happened grandpa, you have to move on-"

"NO I WILL NOT MOVE ON!" exploded Oak.

There was a brief silence, allowing Oak to regain his composure before speaking.

"He didn't die in a car crash..."

Oak pulled out a picture of his family from his wallet. In it was he, Chris' mother and father, along with an infant Chris. They all smiled, which brought more tears to Oak's eyes.

"Do you still have the note that was given to you back in Lumiose?" asked Oak.

Chris remembered it, but it was snatched from him back at the court weeks ago.

"Moments after that letter was written, your mother and father needed to stop at a bank for money... Just as they entered it, it began to be robbed... Your father was near the doorway and tried to escape..., but was shot... dead at the front entrance..."

A shock surged through Chris, as if his heart beat had rapidly increased.

"Dad... and Mom?" asked Chris.

"Your mother was kidnapped by the two robbers... found dead, handcuffed in a shack miles west of Lumiose City..."

Charlotte had now turned her head in disgust. Chris sunk to his knees, his tears dripping onto the dark-tiled floor.

"Everything I've done my grandson... everything I've done was to get them back to me... back to you."

Chris stared up at his grandfather, whom once again stretched his hand out.

"What about the robbers? What happened to them?" asked Chris with a surge of rage.

"...They got away... never to be found again, but with Lysandre's help, we'll rid the world of that scum and bring our family back together." Oak now turned to face Charlotte.

"We can bring your family back together."

Chris still stared at him blankly.

"I know what I did to you in court was harsh, but that was only momentarily. We may be punished now, but our paradise awaits Chris... join me," said Oak. His hand was still stretched out.

Chris lowered his head once more, his fists tightening.

"I want to see them... I want to know them... I wanted to know the Pokemon I never got to meet... that Larvitar," said Chris.

"And you will just join me-"

"But," said Chris strongly. He now raised his head, staring directly into Oak with his emerald green eyes. "The dead have passed grandpa... we have to move on... and I can't sit back and let Team Flare kill millions if not billions of innocent people!"

"No Chris, no you don't understand, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" said Oak banging his fist onto Lysandre's V-shaped chair.

"I have to stop Team Flare," said Chris. Oak now stared at him, his face completely shifting.

"I can't let that happen," he said quietly.

The grandfather and grandson stared at each other silently. Instinctively, Chris pulled out a Pokeball, and so did Oak. Without hesitating, both tossed them beginning a battle.

Oak sent out Tauros to start, Chris sent in Tyrantrum. It was the bull that had the speed advantage, and attacked first.

"Zen-Headbutt!" ordered Oak.

Tyrantrum remembered its fight with Cranidos back at Cyllage city. The tyrant Pokemon decided to match strength with strength, lowering its head and charging towards Tauros. The two collided with equal strength, sending both flying back towards their trainers.

"Earthquake!" shouted the two trainers in unison. Both Tauros and Tyrantrum stomped on the ground causing it to shake viciously, damaging each other again. The move had damaged Tyrantrum significantly compared to Tauros. Seeing this, Oak called out an order.

"Head Smash, Tauros!" Tauros pawed the ground before charging head on at Tyrantrum, whom was breathing heavily with exhaustion. The tyrant stared at the bull charging head on at it, without motioning slightly.

"Tyrantrum," said Chris quietly. The Pokemon growled, staring intensely at the charging bull. Once Tauros was close enough, Tyrantrum whipped its body at lightning speeds, slamming its tail into Tauros, sending the bull into one of the concrete walls of Team Flare's base, causing it to faint immediately.

Oak stared at Chris, still seeing the same determined child back at Viridian Forest.

"You didn't give up."

The words echoed through Oak's head as he returned Tauros to its Pokeball, then sending out his next Pokemon.

Oak had sent out Venusaur, which allowed him to maintain the speed advantage.

"Venusaur, Giga Drain!" ordered the Professor. Venusaur roared at Tyrantrum, draining the Pokemon of its energy, but Tyrantrum still stood.

"Outrage, Tyrantrum!" responded Chris. Tyrantrum charged after Venusaur, attacking the grass Pokemon with unmatched aggression. The Pokemon stomped, kicked, and head butt Venusaur. During its outrage, Tyrantrum tried crunching down on the grass Pokemon, but Venusaur released two vines which suspended Tyrantrum's jaw, making it unable to snap down. The Pokemon then forged two more vines, wrapping them around Tyrantrum's legs. Venusaur then released the vines from Tyrantrum's mouth, dodging its attempt to bite. As Tyrantrum attempted to attack in its fit of outrage, the Pokemon tripped due to the vines wrapped around its legs. Now laying on its side, Tyrantrum was wide open for an attack, and Oak knew it.

"Venusaur, Giga Drain!" Venusaur sapped any energy Tyrantrum had left causing the dinosaur to faint.

Chris returned Tyrantrum to its Pokeball, then sending in Talonflame, who gave Chris the speed advantage.

"Flare Blitz, Talonflame!" called Chris. Talonflame engulfed itself in flames before flying directly into Venusaur at speeds around 270 mph. The two Pokemon were sent flying opposite directions shortly after contact. Venusaur had fainted from the attack, while Talonflame only suffered recoil damage.

Oak returned Venusaur to its Pokeball, sending out his third Pokemon, Kabutops, but Talonflame still had the speed advantage over the opposing fossil Pokemon.

"Steel Wing, Talonflame!" Talonflame's red wings now turned a chrome silver as the Pokemon charged towards Kabutops, slashing it with its wing, damaging Kabutops minimally.

"Waterfall, Kabutops!" countered Oak. Kabutops surrounded its claws in water and began charging towards Talonflame. The falcon Pokemon dodged Kabutops' attacks by flying well out of its reach. As Kabutops tried to hit Talonflame, the two Pokemon had switched sides on the battlefield, Talonflame's back facing Oak, and vice versa for Kabutops. Talonflame began covering its wings in steel like previously, then charging towards Kabutops. In response, the fossil Pokemon hardened its body, making it so Talonflame's hit did even less.

"Rock Slide, Kabutops!" Kabutops roared, unleashing a barrage of boulders upon Talonflame. Despite the Pokemon's incredible speed, there were too many boulders hurled towards it, eventually one landing and one was enough to cause the falcon to faint.

Chris returned Talonflame to its Pokeball, now sending in Umbreon, which continued to give him the speed advantage.

"Remember what you told me grandpa…about all rock type Pokemon?" asked Chris.

"All rock Pokemon-"

"All rock Pokemon have strong physical defenses," they said in unison.

"Umbreon…, Dark Pulse!" ordered Chris. Umbreon surrounded Kabutops in a shadowy aura, damaging the Pokemon severely.

"Slash, Kabutops!" Kabutops charged towards Umbreon, raising its right claw and slashing it down on Umbreon, but the dark Pokemon avoided the attack, shifting to its right, before pouncing onto the fossil Pokemon for a counter attack. It crunched down on the head of the fossil Pokemon, then using all of its body weight to force itself to the ground in a take-down move, whipping Kabutops behind Umbreon and into the walls of the hideout, knocking the fossil Pokemon out.

Oak returned Kabutops to its pokeball, now sending in the Pokemon that Umbreon idolized growing up, Espeon. Immediately as the opposing eevelution was sent out, the battle came to a stop. Umbreon stared at the elderly Espeon calmly. The dark type purred quietly, looking to stop all the fighting.

At that moment, Espeon's eyes became aggressive, a sharp blue shade forming over them as Oak called out an order.

"Focus Blast!" Espeon now fired off a blast of fighting energy towards Umbreon, whom dodged the attack frantically. The dark type pleaded with Espeon to stop, but the psychic type refused to relent, continuing to fire off blast after blast, all with no success.

"Umbreon!" called out Chris. The Pokemon turned to look at its trainer, Espeon recharging from the barrage of blasts. "We can't convince them... They made their decision... Now, Crunch!"

Umbreon charged towards Espeon. Once close enough, the dark type attempted to pounce on the psychic type, but Espeon fired off another blast at Umbreon from point blank range. The attack sounded as if a cannon was fired within the base, as Umbreon lay on the ground unconscious.

Angered by the sight, Beedrill had sent itself out.

"No," said Chris returning Umbreon to its Pokeball. "It's too fast, and you're weak to it."

Stubbornly, Beedrill ignored Chris' advice, now joining the battle.

"Psychic," mumbled the professor. Espeon's eyes turned the same sharp blue as it fired off a psychic blast at Beedrill. The attack decimated the poison type. It fell to the ground immediately in exhaustion. As Chris pulled out Beedrill's pokeball, he could hear the Pokemon banging on the black tiles in frustration.

"You didn't give up."

The words now echoed through Beedrill's head as it rose to its feet. Chris' first ever Pokemon now looked back to him, demanding an order.

"X-Scissor," said Chris.

Beedrill began slowly walking towards Espeon.

"Psychic," demanded Oak again. Espeon fired off another blast of psychic energy at Beedrill, damaging the bug Pokemon harshly, but it was still advancing towards Espeon slowly.

"Psychic, AGAIN!" shouted Oak. Once again, the feline Pokemon fired off another blast of psychic energy at Beedrill, but the Pokemon still advancing towards Espeon.

"You didn't give up."

The words now echoed through Chris' head.

Now next to Espeon, Beedrill raised both of its arms, using all of its remaining strength to slash a definitive 'X' into the feline Pokemon. Shortly after Espeon fainted, Beedrill collapsed to the ground.

Chris and Oak returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Chris knew he had two remaining Pokemon, but Oak only had one. He tossed one of the two remaining Pokeballs, sending out Greninja. As Oak pulled out the Pokeball, he stared at it briefly refusing to toss it.

"What?" asked Chris staring at his grandfather. Oak gripped the Pokeball tightly before tossing it. As it burst open, his final Pokemon was revealed, the first Pokemon Chris was supposed to have, Tyranitar.

The naturally violent Pokemon stared at Chris, a sorrowful look on the Pokemon's face.

"Larvitar," said Chris quietly. Oak now pulled out the family photo, staring at it along with Tyranitar. Seeing his family caused Tyranitar to burst into a rage, beginning the battle once more.

"Water Shuriken!" called out Chris. Greninja began forming shurikens out of water, firing them off at Tyranitar like a chain of bullets, but they merely bounced off the external shell of Tyranitar.

"Stone Edge, Tyranitar!" Tyranitar stomped on the ground, a boulder emerging from it. Tyranitar then grabbed the boulder, tossing it at Greninja, the speedy water type dodging the attack, but it was a ruse. Once Greninja had fallen into its trap, Tyranitar roared, causing the frog Pokemon to be entrapped in a group of stones. Once trapped, Tyranitar approached Greninja slowly. Each step the beast took, caused the ground to shake harshly. Once close enough, Tyranitar began beating down on the water type aggressively similar to Tyrantrum's outrage. The barrage of attacks caused Greninja to faint, leaving Chris with just one Pokemon remaining.

Chris sent out Aggron, the final Pokemon remaining on his team. The two tyrants were equal in size and anger, but it was Oak's titan that had the speed advantage.

"Earthquake, Tyranitar!" he ordered. Tyranitar roared at Aggron, shaking the ground beneath them, doing a severe amount of damage to Aggron, but the Pokemon was still in fighting condition.

"Aggron, Iron Head!" Steam burst through Aggron's nostrils as it charged towards Tyranitar with the force of a freight train. To Aggron's surprise, Tyranitar just stared down the steel type, motionless. Once Aggron was close enough, Tyranitar gripped the beast by its horns, bringing it to a headlock. Tyranitar then used its elbow, slamming it into the spine of Aggron. The titan roared with pain as a crack was distinctly seen in its back. Tyranitar then tossed the Pokemon back to Chris. Oak now stared at his grandson, a sad look on his face.

"One day…you'll understand… everything I've done."

Oak raised his right arm, lowering the lab coat sleeve which revealed a Mega Bracelet. He then tapped the glowing Mega Stone, surrounding Tyranitar in a rainbow aura. The behemoth reappeared, its roar louder and stronger than ever. The small spikes previously on its back, stretched outwards. Jolts of red lightning sparked around its chest as it stared down Chris. He looked to his own Pokemon, Aggron. The steel type held its back in one arm, banging the tiled floor with the other.

"This battle is over," declared Oak.

Aggron's eyes shot wide open, an angry look on the Pokemon's face. Slowly, the titan rose to its feet, still a hand on its back. Chris looked down to his arm, seeing the Mega Stone brighter than it had ever been. Chris raised his head looking back to Aggron, the two staring at each other. Shortly after, Aggron turned to face Tyranitar, the two roaring at each other.

Chris raised his hand, then slamming the palm of his hand onto the Mega Stone. Immediately, the same rainbow aura which enraptured Tyranitar had begun surrounding Aggron.

When the aura simmered, Aggron reappeared, its steel shell expanding across its entire body, its rock form completely covered by the steel plating. Aggron roared louder than Tyranitar, as the two titans ignored their trainers, attacking one another. Unstoppable force charged towards the immovable object.

Aggron lead with its first attack, a gut punch to Tyranitar, then an uppercut. Tyranitar countered, slamming its tail onto Aggron's back, specifically where it had cracked its armor previously. Aggron winced in pain, but continued to fight. The steel titan roared, grabbing Tyranitar's tail. Aggron then planted its planter foot into the ground, hauling Tyranitar into the ceiling of the hideout.

Tyranitar was tossed through the concrete walls of the cafe, and now into the center of Lumiose City. Aggron ripped through the cafe, now joining Tyranitar at the heart of Lumiose City. It was nighttime as the tyrants continued their battle. Chris, Charlotte, and Professor Oak exited the cafe from its entrance, watching from a distance as the two fought.

Tyranitar lead, scrapping the chest of Aggron, to no effect. Aggron lowered its head into Tyranitar charging the Pokemon into one of the four legs of Lumiose Tower. The green behemoth left a dent in the leg of the tower. Police now began to surround the center of the city, which had turned to a battlefield. Tyranitar slammed its tail onto Aggron, releasing it from the steel titan's grasp. Tyranitar then shoved Aggron away from it, roaring to assert its dominance.

The battlefield turned silent, the two titans staring at each other, both breathing heavily. Tyranitar began to twitch, remembering the memories of Chris' parents, and the trauma of seeing Chris' father shot dead in front of it. The memories incited a rage within the green tyrant as it charged towards its steel counterpart. Aggron remained calm, staring at the charging Tyranitar motionless. Once close enough, Aggron closed its mouth, planting its right foot deeply into the cobblestone walkway, whipping its body which slammed its massive tail directly onto the back of Tyranitar's neck, slamming the green titan into the ground. The slam from Tyranitar's tail let out a boom which echoed through the city as Tyranitar lay motionless on the ground. Aggron now roared, asserting its dominance! Chris looked on in amazement, Oak in shock.

Immediately the police began to notice Chris.

"It's him!" one of the police shouted. Another pulled out a handgun, firing it at Chris. Like it did against Wulfric, Aggron lunged in front of Chris, saving his life. Multiple officers began firing on Aggron, but the bullets deflected off Aggron like they were nothing. Steam fumed out of Aggron's nostrils as it stared at the police, who were out of ammo. The steel titan then roared the loudest it ever had, terrifying the police, who began to run away, calling for backup. Seeing this, Chris turned to Charlotte.

"We don't have much time," he said running back into the hideout. He and Charlotte healed their Pokemon in a machine similar to the ones found in the Pokemon Center. Once fully healed Chris headed back out to where the battle of the titans was, but Oak stood in his way, tears down his face.

"Please Chris…," he begged. "We can be a family again..."

Chris stared at him silently, then sending out the first ever Pokemon he got, Beedrill.

"You know I want to see them Grandpa...," mumbled the grandson.

Chris then stared at the fainted Tyranitar.

"But not like this... I will see him another time."

He then motioned to Beedrill, whom planted its stinger into Oak, unleashing a toxin which had knocked him unconscious.

With the Professor defeated, Chris sent out Talonflame as multiple officers began to approach Lysandre's cafe.

"So…where to now?" asked Charlotte. Chris didn't answer her question, instead staring at Beedrill, primarily the burns on its chest.

"Burns...Malva...Houndoom...Rock...Geosenge. We gotta get to Geosenge Town."

The two hopped on their flying Pokemon, setting course for the rural town.


	24. Chapter 23: Noah's Ark

Chris and Charlotte were airborne now heading for Geosenge Town. Chris had taken lead with Charlotte behind him. Laying on top of the inflated Jigglypuff, she began to smile, staring downwards as if she were daydreaming.

"What is it?" asked Chris. Charlotte snapped out of her daydream, now focusing on him.

"It's nothing..."

Chris chuckled.

"What?" she asked annoyed.

"You think its a bit late to keep secrets from each other?"

"I don't think I should tell you," she said in frightened tone.

"Charlotte," said Chris quietly. The two turned to look at each other, both locked gazing into one another's eyes. Chris now began to smile.

"Tell me."

She lowered her head before speaking.

"Well…remember what I said back in Santalune... about getting out of here."

"Yeah?"

"I was just thinking.. when this is all over, that we can travel the world together.."

Chris was silent, regretting to hear what she said.

"…It's always been a dream of mine," she continued. "I really want to see what other regions are like... Will you come explore them with me?"

He now smiled at her.

"When this is all over…," he said. "Then we can travel the world."

They both smiled at each other as they continued down their flight path. When he turned his head around, both their smiles disappeared. Chris feared their future would meet its end here. He feared that the vision he saw could still become a reality. Charlotte was still haunted from what Chris said in Anistar.

"If I don't survive… carry out my dream for me."

The two continued their flight path to Geosenge.

Deep beneath the ground in Geosenge, Lysandre had teleported to a lab along with Sycamore. To the left of them was a single elevator which lead up to the unfamiliar rocks that Chris found way back when. To his right were groups of computers and a large floor to ceiling glass window revealing what was beneath the three pillars in Geosenge Town. Lysandre stared at through the glass at the massive structure underneath.

"The Ultimate Weapon," he murmured to himself. A scientist now approached Lysandre.

"It's ready," he said quietly.

"No," responded Lysandre. "…It's not ready yet, but our time is near."

The scientist smirked. Instantly, Lysandre turned to face Serena, whom was sitting at one of the open seats at the computer lab.

"Serena?" said Professor Sycamore confused.

"Serena," said Lysandre happily. She began to approach Lysandre, leaving the laptop on the chair.

"Lysandre…I need to speak to you," she said quietly.

"Absolutely…, come walk with me."

The two traveled down multiple stairwells, leading them deeper underground. The deeper they got into the base, Serena began to see embryo chambers for more than 700+ Pokemon.

"What are those?" she asked pointing to the embryos.

"Those? Those are the embryos of every known Pokemon in existence... If we're to start a new world, life must carry on. I call it Noah's Ark."

"This new world Lysandre... how will you make it?" she asked. Lysandre gleamed with joy.

"Let... me... show... you."

The two continued down what seemed to be endless amounts of stairwells until they reached the bottom of the base, where the legendary beast lay. Upon entering a secret passcode, the metallic doors shot open, and Lysandre was now directly in front of Yvetal in an egg shape. Just as the doors shot open, a voice called out to Serena.

"RUN CHILD!" shouted a voice. Serena turned around staring up the stairs, but couldn't see anyone.

"Who was that? she asked. Lysandre's smile disappeared. He typed in an additional passcode which revealed a hidden jail cell, hiding a man with worn down clothes and long gray hair.

"Who is this?" she asked slowly becoming more and more terrified.

"This...this is the king of Kalos... You must not believe what he shouts... he's delirious from existing for over 3,000 years."

"3,000 years!?"

"Let us not focus on this waste of breathe, but rather on the beast itself," said Lysandre hastily. He gripped her arm, dragging her towards the egg.

"Don't trust him," murmured the king.

"Magnificent isn't it?" asked Lysandre shutting the door behind them. Serena began to shudder. "Now…what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Serena took a deep breathe before speaking.

"I rewatched the tape of when Shauna died…"

"I'm glad you got to say one more goodbye…," he said while staring at Yveltal.

"Lysandre," she said angrily. "Did you frame Chris?"

He turned around to look at her.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Umbreon has round red-eyes. Those were a Houndoom's eyes. Sharp, angled."

Lysandre was silent.

"Yes... I framed him…," he admitted. Serena took a step back. He rushed towards her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"He did nothing but endanger your life."

Immediately, all of Serena's Pokemon shot out of their Pokeballs, ready to fight Lysandre.'

"He was innocent," she said angrily.

"Yes…, but no one knows that..."

"But..I do?"

Lysandre's grip on her shoulder got tighter. Delphox roared as Lysandre's Pyroar erupted from its Pokeball. In an instant, Serena's team was swept leaving her defenseless.

"You know what awakens Yveltal from its slumber?" he asked. His face became more violent, twisted with evil. "…Blood…"

Instantly, Lysandre pulled out a dagger, stabbing Serena in the stomach. Blood dripped from her mouth as she collapsed to the floor lifelessly. Yveltal's egg now began to shake, red veins could be seen pulsating through the exterior of the shell.

"Now…the blood of the controller…," he said. Lysandre used the same dagger, slicing the palm of his hand. He then approached the egg, touching it.


	25. Chapter 24: The Final Battle Pt1

Upon touching the egg, Yveltal's sprung open, sending Lysandre multiple feet back. He stared at the beast in awe. Yveltal cried out, the roar echoing through the entire underground base. Lysandre now pulled out a phone, calling to Sycamore.

"Do it," he mumbled. Sycamore tapped two buttons. The Ultimate Weapon, a flower shaped structure built from an abstract material, sprung from the ground, spreading itself throughout all of Geosenge Town. The winged beast now stared strongly at Lysandre, whom stared psychotically back at the Pokemon. Yveltal had succumb to Lysandre's obedience.

Now approaching the beast, a red Y-shape formed in his pupil. Lysandre stood in front of the bowing beast, murmuring one word.

"Kill."

Immediately the winged beast took off, escaping from underground to decimate Geosenge Town.

The black sky turning red once Yveltal had been arrived. The beast had murdered thousands in just minutes.

Just a few miles away from the town, Chris and Charlotte began to notice the sky changing.

"What's going on?" asked Charlotte.

"I dunno," responded Chris. As the two reached Geosenge Town, the sky had become a much harsher red. The blood of the dead painted the grassy terrain. The two now saw the winged beast, Yveltal flying directly towards them.

"Charlotte!" he began, remembering what he saw in Reflection Cave. "Get as far away from here as you can!"

"What! No! I'm not leaving you!"

"That thing will kill you if you don't listen to me!"

"So I'm supposed to leave you here to die?" she said angrily. Yveltal continued towards the two, completely ignoring them as it continued its rampage. Charlotte stared down at the town, noting the massive flower shaped structure, while Chris still stared at Yveltal, whom was flying off into the distance. She then saw the pools of blood surrounding it, a frightful look on her face.

"This...this is how they plan to make a new world...," she said quietly. Chris stared at her as she began to cry.

"They won't," responded Chris confidently. "And we have to stop them."

Moments later, the two swooped down towards the town, while the winged beast set its sights elsewhere.

Yveltal had sets its sights on Lumiose City, arriving there in no time. The winged beast hovered over the city. Hoards of citizens began piling up, admiring the sight of it. Suddenly, the beast's blue eyes turned a blood red as the Pokemon began firing off a blast of energy at the groups of people, obliterating them. Yveltal continued, blasting the legs of Lumiose Tower, causing it to become unstable and collapse on the city. As the tower collapsed into the ground, ponds of blood formed from the people crushed by the tower. On the ground, a toddler reached for the hands of her mom, whom stared at her infant lifelessly.

"Mama," called out the child, staring at its mother, whom was trapped under the rubble from the collapsed tower. The child then stared up at the beast, whom continued to obliterate all within the city. Yveltal blasted the bases of multiple buildings, causing them to collapse, killing millions. The roads of Lumiose were flooded with debris and collapsed buildings, the screams and cries of everyone could be heard from miles away. Beneath all the rubble were the corrupt cops, corrupts judges mixed with innocent men, women, and children.

Yveltal roared over Lumiose City, overlooking the destruction of the city. With the famous city destroyed, the Pokemon flew off to attack another.

In Geosenge Town, Chris and Charlotte ventured to the north west corner of the town, finding the mysterious rock which hid Team Flare's base. Chris sent out Aggron, whom had returned to its regular form, ordering it to charge into the rock along with Tyrantrum. The two obeyed, ripping the entire elevator shaft off. Chris hopped back onto Talonflame, returning his previous two Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Charlotte traveled down on her Jigglypuff. At the base of the elevator shaft, Chris sent out Aggron, who pried the doors open, revealing the two trainers to the entire base. Sycamore, who was staring into the window turned around to see Charlotte, whom froze.

"You...," said Sycamore with a disgusted tone staring at Charlotte. Chris stepped in front of her, his Pokemon looking ready for battle.

"You son of a-"

"Wait," she said quietly. She now stepped in front of Chris. "Dad…"

"You're no daughter of mine. You betrayed me, took my wife from me."

"I don't care what you think of me," she responded coldly. "Where is Lysandre?" The scientist who previously approached Lysandre now joined Sycamore's side.

"I will not let all of our work come to an end by you…especially you," she said looking at Charlotte, who didn't hesitate. Sycamore pulled out a pokeball, as well as her daughter. A scientist along with Sycamore challenged Chris as the battles began.

Sycamore sent out his first Pokemon, Bisharp. Charlotte responded, sending in her Flareon, but Bisharp still had the speed advantage.

"Night Slash, Bisharp," called out Sycamore. Bisharp charged after Flareon, slashing the feline Pokemon harshly. Just as Flareon rose to its feet, Charlotte called out an order.

"Flareon, Flamethrower!" Flareon fired a beam of fire at Bisharp, damaging the steel type severely. When the fire simmered, Charlotte noticed a focus sash wrapped around Bisharp's neck like a scarf being burned off. The Pokemon had survived the attack, but was barely in fighting condition.

"Night Slash!" Bisharp slashed Flareon once more, this move doing enough to cause Flareon to faint. Charlotte grew tense, nervous after losing the one on one.

"You remember we always battled when you were younger," said Sycamore quietly. He now began to tear up. "I...I wanted to love you Charlotte...but I couldn't...after what you did to me."

"Dad..."

In an instant, Sycamore changed emotions, demanding that she send out her next Pokemon. She sent in Bellossom as her second Pokemon.

"Bisharp, Sucker Punch!" called out Sycamore anticipating an attack, but nothing happened. Bellossom hadn't budged giving Bisharp no chance to attack.

"Sleep Powder, Bellossom!" she said quietly. Bellossom surrounded Bisharp in a multitude of spores causing the Pokemon to become sleepy.

"Now, Giga Drain!" Bellossom drained Bisharp of the little energy it had remaining, causing the Pokemon to faint. Sycamore returned his first Pokemon, then sending in his next Pokemon, Arcanine, whom also gave him the speed advantage.

"Flare Blitz!" Arcanine surrounded itself in a fluster of flames before charging directly at Bellossom. The move landed directly, launching both Pokemon in opposite directions. Bellossom had fainted, while Arcanine suffered severe damage from recoil. Seeing Bellossom faint triggered a flashback for Charlotte. She remembered battling with her father years ago, a smile on her face, but a stern look on his. In the distance, Chris called out to her.

"Keep fighting!" shouted Chris next to her. "Believe in yourself!"

Charlotte returned the grass Pokemon to its Pokeball, then sending in her next Pokemon, Aurorus. Sycamore stared at the Pokemon silently.

"Have you forgot your typings?" said Sycamore. "That sauropod is weak to my Arcanine's fire attacks."

Charlotte turned to Chris' battle, seeing Tyrantrum on the battlefield. She smirked as she looked at him. Chris nodded at her.

"Aurorus, Protect!"

"Tyrantrum, Earthquake!" called out Chris in the distance. Tyrantrum stomped on the ground, causing it to shake viciously. Aurorus protected itself, leaving Sycamore and the scientist's Pokemon the only targets. Both Pokemon fainted shortly after the hit. Sycamore stared at Chris angrily as he returned Arcanine to its Pokeball. He then sent in his next Pokemon, Trevenant. Immediately, the grass Pokemon attacked.

"Horn Leech!" Trevenant charged towards Aurorus, stabbing the horns on its head into Aurorus, draining the Pokemon of its energy. Aurorus looked extremely weak from the attack, but still continued to fight.

"Ice Beam, Aurorus!" Aurorus fired a direct beam of ice at Trevenant, the blast doing a vast amount of damage, but not enough to cause Trevenant to faint. Sycamore now looked at Chris, seeing him focused on his own battle.

"Shadow Claw, Trevenant!" Trevenant surrounded its claw in a purple mist before charging in Charlotte's general direction, but turning last second, aiming the attack at Chris.

"Watch Out!" she shouted to Chris. He looked to her, seeing Trevenant raising its shadowy claw. As Trevenant motioned its arm downward, Aurorus fired another beam of ice, completely freezing Trevenant's arm. Tyrantrum then slammed its tail onto Trevenant, shattering the grass Pokemon's arm, causing it to faint.

Sycamore returned Trevenant to its Pokeball, then sending out his final Pokemon, Garchomp.

"This will not end here!" exclaimed Sycamore. "I will see her! I WILL!"

He then tapped the Mega Stone on his bracelet, Mega Evolving Garchomp. The newly evolved dragon had gained menacing claws much larger than previously, along with a new row of spikes draped around it. Sycamore wasted no time afterwards calling out an attack.

"Garchomp, Earthquake!" Garchomp slammed its two claws into the ground, roaring at Aurorus causing the ground to shake. The move successfully caused every surrounding Pokemon to faint. Charlotte returned the sauropod to its Pokeball. Charlotte now held two Pokeballs.

"Jigglypuff was never a fighter," whispered. "...Send it out...the Pokemon I gave you."

Charlotte stared at him, then sending out her ace Pokemon, Blastoise. Though it was the original caregiver of the Pokemon, Blastoise despised Sycamore, and it showed as Charlotte's Mega Bracelet began to glow.

"It's like I said," began the Professor as he started to cry once more. "I tried to love you."

"Dad...you hated me...all these years..."

Charlotte now began to tear up.

"I couldn't control it...I couldn't control if mom would die."

Sycamore twitched with rage.

"You have no clue what she meant to me!...I'm haunted by her loss everytime I see you Charlotte. I see her blue eyes in you...her brown hair..."

Like a light switch, Sycamore shifted, calling out an order to Garchomp.

"Garchomp, Earthquake!" Garchomp roared at Blastoise, causing the earth to shake, tossing Blastoise viciously. The tortoise Pokemon fell onto its back. Upon rising, the water type roared at Garchomp, brightening the Mega Stone on Charlotte's bracelet. Instinctively, she tapped the stone, which engulfed Blastoise. Upon reemerging, Charlotte gave an order.

"Ice Beam…" Blastoise lowered its body, aiming the cannon on its back at Garchomp, then firing off a single beam of solid ice at Garchomp, the move knocking out Garchomp in one attack. As the dragon Pokemon fell to the ground in defeat, Blastoise roared, signaling the end to the battle.

Sycamore was silent, a smirk very similar to Charlotte's was seen on his face.

"You finally beat me," he muttered. "You could never do it as a kid."

"Don't you do this," said Charlotte. Tears began to emerge. "Don't you try to be friendly to me now...you hated me! Admit it!"

"Of course I hated you Charlotte... she was everything to me..., but in just one moment...one night...she was snatched from me."

The father and daughter stared at each other silently.

"You wanted to bring her back didn't you?" she asked, breaking the silence. Sycamore nodded. She began to cry more. "I wish I could've met her." Another period of silence passed by.

Chris now approached the Professor.

"You faced Oak didn't you?" he asked. Chris nodded. Sycamore then lowered his head in defeat.

"I'm sorry for your loss," said Chris. He now stood directly in front of Sycamore. "But where is Lysandre?"

Knowing he was beaten, Sycamore revealed told him.

"At the top of the weapon...There's a platform...He's up there."

Shortly after, Sycamore fell unconscious as Beedrill injected him with the same poison that it did Professor Oak. Chris healed all his Pokemon, then heading back to the opened elevator shaft. Charlotte stared at her unconscious father.

"Charlotte," called out Chris, garnering her attention. She approached him at the elevator shaft.

"You gotta get out of here, and as far away from here as you can," ordered Chris.

"For the last time Chris, mo, I want to stay and fight with you!"  
"Charlotte, you've done amazing…, but…if I'm gonna face him, I need to know you're safe…I can't trust that you'll be safe down here."

Charlotte began to tear up, grabbing Chris' hand.

"Please…don't-d-" Chris smirked at her, like she'd done so many times to him.

"I made you a promise, remember?" He then hopped on Talonflame, who flew him out of the elevator shaft.


	26. Chapter 25: The Final Battle Pt2

As Chris flew out of the elevator shaft, he circled the massive weapon, seeing Lysandre standing confidently on the platform suspended a hundred feet from the ground. He landed on the platform, shouting Lysandre's name.

"Enjoying the view?" asked Lysandre with a smirk on his face.

"This ends here, Lysandre!" exclaimed Chris. Lysandre laughed at him.

"This! This is just the beginning!"

Suddenly out of nowhere, a green snake-like creature appeared before the two trainers, slamming onto the platform causing Chris to fall down. The Pokemon stood in front of him, roaring at Lysandre.

"Zygarde," whispered Chris to himself. Instantly, he gained a jolt of confidence as he returned to his feet, but the beast wasn't under his control. Behind the beast stood Diantha, whom revealed herself to Lysandre, a distinct Z-shape marked into her eye. He smirked at the sight of her.

"Stop this Lysandre! This madness!" she exclaimed in a strong tone unrecognizable to her previous voice. It was as if the creature was controlling her. Lysandre stared at her, the Y-Shape illuminating in his eyes.

"Zygarde is under your order, isn't it Diantha?" asked Lysandre. She refused to answer.

"That mean you're gonna kill me?"

She was still silent, completely possessed by Zygarde.

"WELL TAKE ME THEN!" he roared.

Still silent, Zygarde now charged towards Lysandre ready to kill him. Just as it was about to strike, Lysandre dodged, sending out his Gyarados.

It was unlike any Chris had studied before. Instead of blue scales, Lysandre's dragon boasted scarlet scales. Gyarados hurled itself onto Zygarde, wrapping its body around and biting it intensely. Zygarde roared in pain, but Gyarados didn't relent. Chris tossed out his Pokemon in an attempt to stop the attack on Zygarde, but the damage was already done. Chris and all six of his Pokemon stared at the bringer of order, dead on the platform in front of them. Lysandre began to laugh as he stretched his arms out.

"You're savior is dead!"

Diantha fell to her knees, her hand firmly over her heart as she breathed heavily.

"You made a soul tie," said Lysandre. "...Just as I did..."

Moments later, Diantha collapsed to the ground, her body lifeless as the z-shape disappeared from her eye.

"Now," said Lysandre looking to Chris. "You've been a thorn in my side since you came to Kalos."

Chris was silent, staring at the corpses of both Diantha and Zygarde. Lysandre now pulled out the film, garnering his attention.

"You want this don't you? Your ticket to a normal life…is right here," he taunted.

"This some kind of sick game? That tape will be useless!"

"If I succeed, yes. But you're so confident in your chances to stop me."

"I will defeat you," declared Chris.

"And after you've done that...then what? You'll always be remembered as a murderer, unless you have this."

Chris was silent briefly.

"What do you want from me Lysandre?"

He began prancing around the platform, tapping the film against the palm of his hand.

"You like games, Chris?" he asked with a smirk. Chris was still silent. "It's quite simple actually."

After speaking, Yveltal slammed down onto the platform sending Zygarde and Diantha flying off the platform. The beast placed itself to the left shoulder of Lysandre, its wings wrapped tightly against its body.

"So Chris…Here's my little game..."

Yveltal opened its wings, revealing Charlotte.

"No," said Chris desperately. Lysandre held the film in his right arm. To his left, Yveltal placed its claw next up next to Charlotte's back.

"Here it is Chris...Your life or hers?"

Chris stared at the film and then at Charlotte.

"You can't be serious Lysandre!"

"Clock's ticking," responded the maniac.

Charlotte was shivering as Yveltal breathed coldly on her.

"Let her live," he ordered. Lysandre smirked.

"As you wish…" Lysandre tossed out a Pokeball revealing Pyroar. He then tossed the film into the air, watching the lion burn it mid-air. The ashes of the paper flew off the platform, falling to the ground well below them. Once completely gone, Lysandre spoke again.

"Kill her," he mumbled to Yveltal.

"NO!"

Yveltal pulled its wing back firing it towards Charlotte's heart.

Time came to a halt as the Yveltal fired the claw towards Charlotte's back. Chris thought of the vision in Reflection Cave. He remembered how he saw a woman die just before his feet.

"Is this it?" he thought. "Is she just going to die here…for nothing, for Yveltal..."

Just before the claw landed, Beedrill swooped in, stealing Charlotte away from Yveltal, bringing her to Chris' side. The Pokemon had slipped by Lysandre's vision, flying under the platform out of everyone's sight.

Lysandre looked as if he were insulted.

"A bug!? How can a bug Pokemon avoid the wrath of a God!"

"Charlotte," he said hugging her. He then rose to his feet, his teeth grinding on one another.

"Enough of this Lysandre! Let's finish this right here!"

Overcome with rage, Lysandre agreed ordering in his first Pokemon.

Chris ordered in Aggron, while Gyarados was sent in by Lysandre. Immediately, the water dragon attacked first.

"Aqua Tail, Gyarados!" Gyarados surrounded its tail in water, charging towards Aggron. Once close enough, Gyarados whipped its body, slamming its tail down on Aggron, but the steel Pokemon caught its tail. Aggron, holding Gyarados by the tail, slammed the sea serpent continuously into the ground until it eventually broke free of its grip.

"Crunch, Gyarados!" called out Lysandre. Gyarados once again charged towards Aggron, latching its fangs into Aggron's neck. The steel behemoth roared with pain, but Gyarados wouldn't relent, using the same power it used against Zygarde. Aggron's cries of pain became weaker and weaker. It's armor could be heard cracking. At that moment, Chris' mega stone began sparkling. Immediately, he tapped the stone, surrounding Aggron in an aura of rainbow colors. The evolution forced Gyarados to back off and return to Lysandre's side.

Aggron now had a stronger body of armor protecting its neck. Lysandre now tapped the Mega Stone on his ring. The same rainbow aura that engulfed Aggron surrounded Gyarados. Upon its reemergence, Gyarados' fins rose in size as well as becoming much darker in color. The serpent stared viciously at Aggron, but the iron beast didn't fret.

"Earthquake, Gyarados!" called out Lysandre. Gyarados roared at Aggron, causing the platform to shake viciously. Blastoise sprung from its Pokeball, gripping Charlotte strongly to make sure she wouldn't fall off. Despite Aggron's incredible defenses, the move had done its wear on Aggron.

"Aggron, Double-Edge!" demanded Chris. Aggron charged after Gyarados, slamming its body directly into Gyarados, sending both Pokemon flying in opposite directions. Gyarados, overcome with rage, charged after Aggron, who stared at the serpent prepping its next attack. Gyarados tried attacking the same spot as last time, but to no effect. The Pokemon then wrapped its body around Aggron, tightening the grip constantly like a boa constrictor. Gyarados had the same grip on Aggron as it did Zygarde.

The steel behemoth struggled, unable to escape the wrap. Aggron's armor began to shatter as Gyarados tightened its grip. In a last ditch effort to save its life, Aggron grabbed Gyarados by the antenna on its head. Steam burst through Aggron's nostrils. The titan roared as it used all its power to rip off Gyarados' antenna, forcing the serpent to release Aggron. Gyarados squirmed in pain as blood spewed onto the platform. Aggron began to approach Gyarados slowly. Once close enough, the steel titatn beat down on the serpent senselessly, punching its face until it was exhausted. With the remaining energy it had left, Aggron hammered Gyarados by the top of its head, slamming it into the platform causing the sea serpent to faint. Aggron fainted shortly afterwards due to exhaustion.

The two trainers returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs at the same time. Lysandre then sent out his next Pokemon, Aegislash. Chris sent in Tyrantrum.

"Tyrantrum, Crunch!" called out Chris. Tyrantrum charged towards Aegislash, crunching down on the steel sword, but its shield had covered its body, reducing the overall damage of the attack.

"Shadow Claw!" Aegislash flung its body upwards, now gripping the shield by its right arm. The Pokemon then disappeared before Tyrantrum's eyes, reappearing by the dinosaur Pokemon. Aegislash flung its body, slashing Tyrantrum harshly. The Pokemon roared with pain, now looking at Aegislash with pure rage.

"Tyrantrum, Crunch again!" Tyrantrum charged towards Aegislash, who still had its shield on its right arm.

"King's Shield," said Lysandre quietly. Aegislash then returned the shield back to its body, defending it again from Tyrantrum's attack. Angered by this, Tyrantrum began attacking Aegislash viciously with no order. It stomped on the sword, slamming it with its tail, but the sword looked virtually unharmed.

"Flash Cannon, Aegislash!" Without removing the shield, Aegislash fired a beam of flashing energy at Tyrantrum, the move doing enough damage to cause Tyrantrum to faint.

Chris returned Tyrantrum to its Pokeball, now sending in Talonflame. Aegislash still had its shield wrapped tightly around its body maintaining a strong defensive position.

"Talonflame, Flare Blitz!" Talonflame engulfed itself in flames, charging directly towards Aegislash.

"King's Shield," said Lysandre. Aegislash defended itself, much to Talonflame's anticipation. The Pokemon redirected its flight, clapping its wings as it flew directly up. When Aegislash let its guard down slightly, the bird Pokemon swooped down at light speed blasting directly into Aegislash. Aegislash had fainted from the contact, while Talonflame was blasted back towards Chris.

Lysandre returned Aegislash to its Pokeball, then sending in his next Pokemon, Noivern. The two were evenly matched in terms of speed.

"Noivern, Dragon Pulse!" called out Lysandre quickly. Noivern arched its neck backwards before firing off a direct beam of energy, hitting Talonflame directly. Damage from recoil and the attack began to build up on Talonflame, but the Pokemon still had its fighting spirit with it.

"Do all you can," said Chris quietly. Talonflame nodded before Chris gave an order.

"Return, Talonflame!" In a display of friendship, Talonflame charged towards Noivern, clawing the bat harshly with its talons. In response, Noivern slashed the back of Talonflame, the attack doing enough to cause Talonflame to faint.

Chris returned Talonflame to its Pokeball, then sending in Greninja, who also matched Noivern in speed.

"Greninja, Ice Beam!" called out Chris instantly. Greninja lowered its tongue scarf, firing a direct beam of ice at Noivern, the beam having enough strength to cause Noivern to faint instantly.

A frustrated look emerged on Lysandre as he returned the bat Pokemon to its Pokeball. Volcarona was sent in, but Greninja still had the speed advantage.

"Hydro Pump, Greninja!" Greninja once again lowered its tongue scarf, firing a blast of pressurized water at Volcarona, but the bug Pokemon looked virtually unfazed by the attack.

"Bug Buzz, Volcarona!" Volcarona let out a screech, piercing everyone's eardrums, but the one being most affected by the attack was Greninja. The move brought Greninja to its weakest point. Just before fainting, Greninja tossed a single water shuriken at Volcarona in a last ditch effort to deal damage, but it simmered due to the radiating heat Volcarona was producing. Shortly after, Greninja collapsed to the ground.

Chris returned the water type to its Pokeball, worried about his chances of success. He then sent in Umbreon, his second to last Pokemon. Now Volcarona had the speed advantage.

"Bug Buzz, again!" Volcarona screeched once more, the sound piercing the ears of everyone on the platform. Despite this, Umbreon still stood strong ready for its order.

"Crunch, Umbreon!" Umbreon charged towards Volcarona, pouncing on the bug Pokemon before clenching its fangs into Volcarona's head. Volcarona screeched in pain, shaking its head rapidly trying to pull off Umbreon, but to no success. Umbreon had continued to bite down on the bug until it had completely fainted.

Lysandre returned the bug Pokemon silently, now ordering in the Pyroar which lay at his side. The lion continued to give Lysandre the speed advantage.

"Hyper Voice!" demanded Lysandre. Pyroar roared at Umbreon, the roar piercing Umbreon's ears, paralyzing it briefly. Once paralyzed, Lysandre gave his second order. "Fire Blast!" Pyroar's mane became a sharp red color as the lion fired a five pointed blaze at Umbreon, whom dodged the attack last second.

"Crunch!" called out Chris to the Pokemon. Umbreon speeded towards Pyroar. The feline Pokemon sunk its fangs into the side of Pyroar's body, the lion roaring in pain. Umbreon clung onto its body like it did to Volcarona. As Pyroar shook its body, Umbreon lost its grip. Pyroar clenched Umbreon with its massive paws, pinning the Pokemon to the ground. It stared at Umbreon briefly before slashing the Pokemon viciously. Umbreon cried out in pain after the first slash, but couldn't break free. On the second slash, Umbreon's cries were weaker, blood seeping out of the Pokemon's opened skin. Chris remembered all the harm he'd put his Pokemon through in the past. He couldn't bare to witness it anymore, returning Umbreon to its Pokeball. A smirk now grew on Lysandre's face.

"Send it in…That little bug of yours."

Beedrill was still standing next to Charlotte, guarding her. Chris looked at the Pokemon.

"I'll burn that thing alive," said Lysandre in an aggressive tone. Chris stared at the bug Pokemon. He feared for his first Pokemon's life. Beedrill now stared angrily at Lysandre as it entered the battle.

"Flamethrower, Pyroar!" said Lysandre carelessly. The lion obeyed, firing a direct beam of fire at Beedrill, but the bug Pokemon dodged the attack, much to Lysandre's surprise. It was no different to the ice beam's from Wulfric to the Pokemon. The bug circled the beam of fire, and once it was close enough to Pyroar, Beedrill extended one of its stingers, jabbing a poison into the lion which had caused it to faint in a matter of seconds. Lysandre stared at his fainted lion in shock.

"How...how could you lose... TO A MERE BUG!?" He then returned the lion to its Pokeball. "But…I still have one more Pokemon up my sleeve Chris." From his belt, Lysandre pulled out his final Pokeball, a Cherish Ball. He tossed the Pokeball, revealing his final Pokemon, Houndoom. The sight of the hound incited even more anger in Beedrill, remembering the burn it had received.

Houndoom howled into the night sky, but Beedrill didn't budge, instead charging after Houndoom, without Chris' order. He called out to his starter, but Beedrill didn't budge. Lysandre smirked.

Immediately, Houndoom snatched the bug Pokemon directly out of the sky, slamming it into the ground. Lysandre then raised his left hand, the Mega Stone glowing. He tapped it, as the aura began to surround Houndoom. Once the aura faded, Houndoom was cloaked in bone tough spikes. The Pokemon stared demonically at Beedrill, who was pinned to the ground similar to how Umbreon was.

"Impossible," said Chris. "How did you..."

Houndoom began slashing the bug Pokemon, causing it to bleed. Immediately afterwards, Houndoom arched its neck back before burning Beedrill alive. The bug tilted its head towards Chris, who stared at his dying Pokemon. Chris sprinted towards the Pokemon, but it pointed at him, faintly buzzing. As Chris got closer, Houndoom stopped burning the bug, roaring at Chris. The Pokemon now released Beedrill and began charging towards Chris, pinning him down now. The Pokemon arched its head backwards, ready to incinerate him. Chris then saw his Mega Stone beginning to glow, and began to remember what Wulfric told him about Mega Evolution. The stone was at its brightest. Chris tapped the stone, causing Beedrill in the distance being engulfed in it.

As Houndoom brought its head down, it was flung off of Chris and back towards Lysandre. Beedrill had Mega Evolved, a new menacing look to the bug Pokemon.

Beedrill now boasted five pincers all aimed at Houndoom.

"Fire Blast, Houndoom!" Houndoom fired a five-pointed blast at Beedrill, but the bug Pokemon was now faster than Lysandre could've possibly imagined. Beedrill swooped down towards Houndoom at speeds twice as fast than before. The Pokemon slashed an X-shape into the back of Houndoom, infuriating the hound. In an act of retaliation, the hound fired a beam of fire at Beedrill, but the bug dodged the attack, countering on its own attack. Beedrill began slashing Houndoom furiously, cutting the bone-tough spikes that built out of its body. Eventually, during its barrage of attacks, Houndoom snatched Beedrill with its mouth, tossing the bug back towards Chris. The two Pokemon were at a standoff, both staring at each other on a silent battlefield, even Yveltal staring on. Houndoom opened its mouth prepping to fire another blast of fire. Beedrill's red eyes brightened, the Pokemon then surrounded its stingers in a glowing poison before charging towards Houndoom. The hound fired a direct beam of fire at Beedrill, but the Pokemon cut right through the beam with its sharp stingers. Houndoom continued to blast fire, but Beedrill flew right through it, planting its stingers into the heart of Houndoom, releasing the toxin which caused the hound to faint, and for the battle to come to an end.


	27. Chapter 26: The Final Battle Pt3

Lysandre stared at his fainted Pokemon in shock. Beedrill still remained in its Mega Form. He lowered his head, then began laughing at Chris.

"Hahaha! So…you beat me…But now what?"

Chris was silent.

"What? You're gonna prove you're innocent? To who!?"

Chris still remained silent.

"You're a murderer Chris," he taunted. "…And will always be remembered as a murderer!" Lysandre continued to laugh. "Hahaha-ah AAAAAHHH!"

He felt a sudden sharp pain in his eyes. Droplets of blood fell from his eyes onto the platform. When he raised his head again, Chris noticed the Y-shape was now gone. Yveltal now turned to Lysandre, who was recovering from the pain.

"Kill," said Lysandre exhausted, but the Pokemon didn't obey, instead staring at him harshly, as if it were judging him. "You hear what I said!? KILL!" he shouted once more.

Yvetal obeyed, tossing Lysandre off the platform. He screamed as he plummeted multiple feet to his death. Yveltal now turned its attention to Chris.

"It's no longer under Lysandre's control," thought Chris to himself. Yveltal now flew directly upward, staring at them from a distance with the center of its chest glowing. Chris' eyes widened.

"CHARLOTTE! GET OFF THE PLATFORM!" he screamed. Seeing Yveltal, Charlotte obeyed, returning Blastoise to its Pokeball, then flying off the platform on Jigglypuff. All of Chris' Pokemon had fainted except for Beedrill. He ran towards his starter Pokemon, holding onto its lower stinger as the bug carried him off the platform. Yveltal then blasted a direct beam of unmatched power at the platform shattering it to debris.

The bringer of death was no longer under anyone's control, acting on its own extreme. With Zygarde dead, nothing stood in its way. Yveltal continued towards Chris and Charlotte, whom had landed on the soil of Geosenge. Beedrill now flew up to Yveltal trying to fight the beast, but even with its newly gained powers, Beedrill stood no chance. Yveltal swung its massive wing towards the bug type, slamming it into the ground. Beedrill hadn't fainted, but was clearly exhausted. Chris looked at Charlotte. He looked to have given up…, as if this were the end. He stretched his hand out to her, but she didn't grab it.

"The last Pokemon," she said.

"What!?"

"The last beast Pokemon…Xerneas! You go find it, I'll keep it distracted!"

"Charlotte…"

"GO!" she screamed. Chris obeyed her demand, sprinting back towards the elevator shaft, Beedrill accompanying him.

Charlotte sprinted south of Geosenge Town, gaining the attention of Yveltal. The winged beast fired multiple blasts down at Charlotte, but each blast was either ahead or behind her. Eventually she made it to the shoreline of Cyllage City. She then sent out her Blastoise, whom immediately began building up the ocean water. Yveltal swooped down trying to slash Charlotte, but she dodged the attack, diving into the sand. Charlotte then rose to her feet, calling out an order for Blastoise.

"Hydro Cannon!" she exclaimed. Using all the water it gained from the sea, Blastoise fired off an ocean's worth of water at Yveltal, the attack damaging the winged beast. Despite the slight success, Blastoise was well exhausted from the attack, forcing Charlotte to return the Pokemon to its Pokeball. Yveltal roared at Charlotte with a deafening sounds. Despite this, she didn't budge, continuing to run from the beast, distracting it.

Chris with the help of Beedrill, descended down back into the base. Sycamore was still unconscious, the remaining scientists, abandoning the lab from emergency exits. He ventured down the endless amount of stairs until he finally reached the base where Yveltal once lay. To the side of the door lay a cage with a man hidden within it.

"I tried to warn her...I tried to warn her," he continued to mumble. The man had long white hair and scrappy clothes.

"Who are you?" asked Chris. The man had no answer, instead staring at him blankly.

"1,4,7,2,8," he mumbled.

"What?" asked Chris. The elderly man repeated the number sequence, pointing to the keypad. Chris typed in the numbers which opened the door. In the room lay Serena's dead body. It was nearly white now. She was surrounded in her own pool of blood. Chris touched her neck, checking for a pulse, but there wasn't one.

"My God…," he muttered. Chris began to remember the vision in Reflection Cave. "Was it her that would die all along?" he thought to himself. Shortly after, Chris turned his attention to the man in the cage.

"Beedrill!" he shouted. Immediately, the bug pried open the caged door, freeing the man. He stared at Chris briefly, before sprinting away.

Chris now turned his attention to the platform where Yveltal lay. He scanned the room.

"Where could it be?" he asked. Shortly after, Chris began to panic, worrying of Charlotte. Beedrill approached the platform, scanning it. While Chris' mind ran off, Beedrill planted its stinger into one of the panels of the platform which held Yveltal's egg, ripping it off. Chris now approached the bug Pokemon, seeing a white, barren tree with an X-shape marked directly into it. Chris stared at it.

"…It's not moving…"

Beedrill poked the tree, but nothing happened.

"No no no no no…this can't be happening no-." It then clicked into Chris' head what had to be done. A rush of memories from the Anistar library returned to Chris.

He looked down, then turning to Beedrill, a tear running down his cheek.

"Beedrill," he said quietly gaining the Pokemon's attention. He then put his hand forward, the palm facing Beedrill.

"Slash my hand," he ordered. The Pokemon stared at Chris hesitant. Upon realizing what he was going to do, the Pokemon refused altogether.

"Dammit Beedrill, now's not the time to argue…"

Beedrill stared at him, Chris could tell the Pokemon was worried for him.

"…I have to do this…not just for her…but for everyone. Beedrill… I'm doing this for you…for Umbreon…for Greninja, Talonflame, Tyrantrum, and Aggron. Hell I'll do this for the whole world if I have to."

Beedrill began to cry. Chris lowered his hand, now he was crying.

"It's not too late for you…"

Beedrill stared at his trainer, a smile was seen on his face.

"I want you to go become a Champion when this is all over Beedrill…when this is all over…"

Chris then stretched his hand out again. The Pokemon gave in, slashing its stinger across the front of Chris' hand. He winced in pain, covering the blood as it began spewing out. He turned around, now approaching the tree. Chris approached it slowly, raising his hand to it. Blood dripped from his hand, but he payed no attention to it. Chris touched the tree, causing it to glow.

Charlotte was out of breath, still trying to avoid Yveltal. The shoreline was dead silent as Yveltal had destroyed Ambrette Town looking for her.

"Chris…where are you?" she wondered. Yveltal now swooped down, entrapping Charlotte behind the rock cliff of Route 8. The Pokemon now marched towards Charlotte, who looked at the beast terrified.

"Is this…death?" she asked. The beast's presence was cold and empty. It surrounded Charlotte, staring at her briefly. Only the cracking of the sea against the cliff could be heard. She began to cry

"It's…cold…," she thought to herself.

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die," she continued to murmur. Yveltal raised its right wing, swinging it down to Charlotte. Just before striking, a beam of white light blasted Yveltal away from Charlotte and into the side of the cliff.

Charlotte turned to her right. Immediately she saw the final beast, the bringer of life, Xerneas! The antlers of the creature simmered in brightness shortly after the blast hit Yveltal. Behind the stag was Chris, staring directly at Yveltal, an X-Shape seen in his eyes. Yveltal roared at Xerneas as it freed itself from the rock. The beast ignored Charlotte now staring at Xerneas. An ancient rivalry had been revived. Chris took a step back as the two beasts engaged in a fight. Xerneas lowered its head, charging directly after Yveltal, the winged beast dodging it by soaring directly upwards. Chris sprinted towards Charlotte, gripping her arm and pulling her away from the battle. Yveltal stored up its energy before firing a blast of dark energy at Xerneas, the move doing minimal to harm the stag. Chris and Charlotte began sprinting back to Geosenge Town. Yveltal caught them running away, and began flying towards them.

Chris and Charlotte returned to Geosenge Town, but were cut off by Yveltal, whom landed directly in front of them. The Pokemon no longer focused on Charlotte, now focusing on Chris. Like it did with Charlotte, the beast raised its right arm attempting to swing it down on Chris. Just as it did, Xerneas swooped in, taking the hit for Chris. Angered, Yveltal charged after Xerneas, who was injured from the previous attack. The winged beast slashed the stag with its talons, cutting it viciously. Now with Xerneas pinned down, it raised its claw once more. Before it executed Xerneas, Yveltal turned its attention to Beedrill, whom buzzed around the winged beast. Yveltal waited patiently for Beedrill to be in the right place. Once it was, Yveltal used its claw and thrust it towards Beedrill. The bug anticipated the attack, tucking its legs into its body to make a thin needle as it charged straight towards Yveltal, dodging its claw. Once close enough, Beedrill slashed Yveltal's face continuously, causing the Pokemon to howl. It then landed on Yveltal's neck, inducing a toxin into Yveltal that began to weaken it. Xerneas now released itself from Yveltal's grasp as the battle continued.

A rainbow of colors sparked on Xerneas' horns. It surrounded itself in a pool of light before firing a beam of energy at Yveltal. The winged beast looked to be on its last legs.

Yveltal roared at Xerneas, but it was much weaker than before. It slashed Xerneas, but the stag looked unscathed. Xerneas then countered by lowering its head, stabbing its horns into the chest of Yveltal. It then raised Yveltal into the air before slamming it into the ground, causing Yveltal to no longer be able to fight. The winged beast breathed heavily as Xerneas stared at it in silence. The stag turned to look at Chris. The X-shape in his eye illuminated.

"Finish this," ordered Chris to the beast. Xerneas' horns brightened revealing a rainbow of colors. A pool of light began to surround Yveltal, trapping it in a sphere of some sort. Xerneas then shot the ball of light containing Yveltal directly upwards near space, before plunging it directly down into the ultimate weapon. The collision caused a booming sound to echo through the silent town. Shortly after, the ultimate weapon began to descend back into the earth where it previously were along with Yveltal. The ultimate weapon folded in on itself, collapsing underground. Yveltal had been sealed away. Xerneas roared elegantly, now causing the weapon to be surrounded by dirt and mud, hiding the weapon well underground. Chris stared at the pit from a distance. "I'm sorry Serena...," he mumbled.

Chris closed his eyes, as Charlotte cheered behind him.

"We did it!" she exclaimed hugging Chris, but he didn't reciprocate. "You beat Lysandre…, you sealed the beast!"

Chris was cold and distant.

"Something wrong?" she asked. Chris turned to look at Xerneas, approaching the beast. Charlotte followed behind him.

"What's wrong? Tell me…"

Chris was still silent. He started to clench his fist. As she focused on it, she noticed his fist covered in blood.

"There's still one more thing I have to do…," he said looking at her.

"What's that?" she asked nervously. Chris looked back to Xerneas. He was fighting back tears.

"I have to seal away Xerneas…"

"What!?"

"Zygarde's dead Charlotte…Yveltal's sealed away…Xerneas is the only beast remaining…As long as I'm here, there will be no order in this world, you remember what Olympia said..."

As Chris turned to her, the X-shape in his eye illuminated. She looked at his eyes and then at his bloody hand.

"No no, there has to be another way."

"Charlotte…it's okay."

"No! No its not!" she exploded. "How is this okay!? I'm not losing you!"

"I had to do this Charlotte…for you…for Beedrill…for everyone."

"Not like this," she sobbed. "Not like this..."

Chris handed her his belt, which held all six Pokeballs. Immediately all his Pokemon broke free of the balls, summoning any strength they had to see him one more time. Umbreon raced to Chris' legs sobbing. Chris pat the Pokemon, a gentle smile on his face. Beedrill stared in the distance crying.

"Why?" she muttered. Chris approached her, hugging her.

"I'll be with you," he said peacefully. "…Always…"

She continued to cry. Chris tried as much as he could, but now his own tears began to emerge. In the distance the stag Pokemon stared at the two.

Chris pulled away from her, now turning to Xerneas. He took a deep breathe before speaking.

"…Do it," he said quietly to the only remaining beast. Xerneas' eyes illuminated. The Pokemon had begun shifting back into the pure white tree, dragging Chris with it. Chris now turned to look at Charlotte, whom was still crying. He let out one more smile.

"I love you," he said quietly. Charlotte's crying grew louder. Chris then turned to his Pokemon, giving them the same smile.

"Take care of her…"

He then stared specifically at Beedrill and Umbreon, whom were next to each other.

"I'm sorry…we never got to be champs…"

Chris began to morph, disappearing into the newly forged tree. With him gone, Geosenge was dead silent, just the sounds of Charlotte crying.


	28. Chapter 27: The Aftermath

Kalos began a slow repair after the damages caused that night. Neighboring regions like the Kanto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn region sent money and supplies to the Kalos region to help repair damages. Millions had died that night, but in time, Lumiose City had repaired itself.

Four months passed since Chris had disappeared. Despite all he had done, he was still a murderer in the eyes of the world. During this time, Charlotte stayed at an apartment in Anistar City, lended to her by Olympia. In her room, she sipped on tea as she browsed through her phone, a miserable look draped over her face. In the background, she kept the news cycle as background noise. Charlotte continued through her phone, reading on about what others had said about Chris on social media.

"Good riddance," one read.

"He had it coming," said another.

Angered by the comments, she turned her attention back to the TV only to see Professor Oak.

"Oak is set to speak at Lysandre's funeral," said the news anchor. "Which is set to be in the heart of Lumiose City."

Charlotte was now outraged, storming out of the Anistar hotel, twelve Pokeballs at her side.

It was nighttime as Professor Oak returned to his newly built hotel room in Lumiose City just above what was formerly Lysandre's cafe. Upon entering, all the lights were shut off, the window open.

"Have you come to kill me?" called out Oak into the empty living room. "Just get it over with...," he mumbled.

"You miss him as much as I do?" asked a female voice in the darkness. Oak tried turning on the lights, but they were broken. Next to her, Oak could see the shaded figure of Greninja.

"Of course I do...he was my grandson," he said.

"Yet you betrayed him..."

"It was for a brief moment," responded Oak. "A month later and he'd be free... and our family would be reunited."

Charlotte was silent, leaving Oak disgruntled.

"You don't understand. Nobody does... If Lysandre's plan had worked, Chris would be alive, and so would his father and mother...your mother would be back as well."

Charlotte rose from her seat, now walking towards Oak. She turned on a lamp nearby Oak, illuminating her face, two distinct tear trails marked vertically down her face.

"My mother died... I've moved on," she said.

"But it wasn't up to you, Charlotte. She died in child birth, there was nothing you could do."

She was silent as Oak continued.

"But we can bring him back..."

Charlotte's eyes now widened.

"Listen to yourself!" she exploded. "Enough with this plan! You're so willing to bring the dead back, but at what cost!? Huh? What cost!? Your grandson's life!?"

Oak's heart sunk. Charlotte paused before speaking again.

"You have to say goodbye Professor..., and leave a good memory of your grandson."

Charlotte handed him a spreadsheet listing all the active members of Team Flare. Moments later, Charlotte left the hotel room leaving the room silent for Oak.

The next morning, Oak hosted Lysandre's funeral, his mind still focused on Charlotte from the previous night. He stood at a podium in front of the crowd attending Lysandre's funeral.

"Lysandre has always been a great man."

Oak felt a jolt within him. It was as if he'd been punched in the gut. He paused in front of the silent crowd before continuing.

"A man that-"

Once again he felt the same gut punch. He now looked out to the crowd instantly seeing Charlotte. He blinked, revealing it was just a brunette woman.

"I need to say something important," mumbled Oak into the microphone.

"My grandson…is not a murderer…"

He now revealed the list.

"This list contains everyone responsible for the atrocities four months ago...Including myself."

The crowd continued to be silent as Oak continued to speak.

"Lysandre was behind this all! The murder of that young woman to frame my grandson!"

Along with the eight gym leaders of Kalos, Oak began to show them all of what Team Flare had done. He showed them the hideout beneath the cafe, the hideout within Geosenge Town. Along with the spreadsheet, Oak was arrested along with Sycamore, and Chris' name was freed.

With his name cleared, Charlotte left Kalos, fleeing to the Kanto Region. She came to Pallet Town, Chris' hometown, seeing the lab at the southeast of the small town. It was completely closed now, degraded due to the truth revealed about Professor Oak. Charlotte took out a mortgage, purchasing the old lab. In order to pay off the mortgage, Charlotte worked at a nursery in Viridian City. Even in the Kanto Region, she could still see the tree in the corner of her eyes. Though at first she saw it as a constant reminder of him, making her sad, the presence calmed her.

"I'll be with you...always," echoed through her head when she would see the tree.

Miles away from Charlotte and back in the Kalos Region, the long haired man in worn down clothes approached Geosenge Town. Though he was locked in a cage previously, the man was now free, staring directly at the barren tree at the center of Geosenge Town. He approached it, placing his hand on it.

Instantly, the man was teleported to a forest-esque area, but he was unfazed by this, as if he had done it before. The land looked pure, as if it were built by an omnipotent force. The man saw Xerneas stroll through the grasslands, sipping from a nearby lake. The stag looked up to stare at the man, both were silent. Xerneas then returned to sipping from the lake as the man continued searching the forest. He could hear the sound of footsteps in the distance.

"Stop," he called out in a deep tone. The footsteps stopped in their tracks. As the man got closer, it turned out to be Chris. He backed away in shock.

"How'd you get in here?" asked Chris.

"I'm the only other one who's been here."

Chris looked at him quizzically.

"Who are you?"

"I…I am the creator of the Ultimate Weapon…I am the original King of Kalos, AZ."

Chris stared at him, stunned by the revelation.

"You're the one in the cage back at Geosenge...I've read about you…Heard about how you lost your Pokemon in a war."

"It seems we're both people who've lost something important to us….I assume you've been watching after her haven't you?"

Chris was silent.

"…Everyday…"

"Your name is cleared…," said the king.

"I know," responded Chris.

"So…what was all this for?"

Chris looked at him as if he were insulted.

"What was all this for? What was it for? I saved the world from certain destruction!"

"I know genius…but at what cost?"

"My life for everyone else's."

"You gave up your life to save a bunch of people who considered you a murderer not too long ago…all the while you made the only person who cared about you's life a living hell."

Once again, Chris was silent.

"Well what about you?" he asked the king. "You lost your Pokemon and took the lives of many innocent."

"What I did was horrific I know…, and I'm paying for it…everyday."

"What?"

"For years I've roamed this earth as a punishment for all that I've done…searching for my Floette, but..."

Chris stared at the man silently.

"You loved her…she loved you…, and you gave that up for a bunch of ungrateful shits."

Chris was still silent.

"Out of those years, I've never met a man so willing to give his life for others…A man who dared to do what you did…You should not be punished for all that you've done."

"I made my decision…now I have to stick to it."

"No, you don't." AZ now pulled out a knife. "Let me switch places with you."

"AZ…"

"I can live forever Chris...If something does happen, I'll be there."

"But..."

"You shouldn't suffer for my sins Chris, please."

AZ slit his hand, then tossing the blade to Chris. He stared at it for a couple of seconds.

"For her," whispered the king. Chris slit his hand, then shaking it with AZ, a bright light began flashing around them. Chris could feel something being pulled from his eye, a great pain ensued. Just mere moments later, Chris lay on a grassy terrain but it was nighttime. As he rose to his feet, he began walking down the route, eventually realizing he was in Viridian Forest, specifically where he'd caught Weedle ten years ago. He ventured south towards his house.

Charlotte woke up to the sound of loud, thundering foot steps. She groaned as she pulled herself out of bed.  
"Aggron's gonna rip apart the foundation again," she groaned, pulling a robe over her nightgown. She rushed out to Aggron.

"What's going on out here?" she demanded. Aggron and Tyrantrum pointed back inside the lab, much to Charlotte's confusion. The two tyrants were ecstatic for the first time since Chris had disappeared. Charlotte walked through the lab slowly, eventually meeting Beedrill head on. The bug Pokemon pointed down the hallway. She turned the corner, entering the lab.

"What's going on-"

Charlotte's jaw dropped. Chris was seen sipping on coffee, working on some paperwork in his old study, Umbreon right at his side. She looked at his eyes, the X-shape completely gone. He turned to her, a smile on his face.

"Morning," he said cheerfully.

She was silent.

"I um...I'm back," he said in a slightly cocky manner. Charlotte rushed towards him, gripping him strongly.

"I thought you made a bond with Xerneas?" she asked.

In response, Chris raised his right hand revealing a massive scar.

"Swapped places with someone."

"What? How did you?"

"I had all night to tell these guys about it," he said looking at his Pokemon. Chris took a seat, explaining all that had happened to him over the past month. Charlotte gripped him like a bear.

"Don't you ever leave me again!" she demanded. Chris smiled.

"…I told you…I'd be by your side…always."

"Forget that physiological shit Chris!"

Chris and Charlotte spent the whole morning talking to each other. At around noon, the two exited the lab, Chris' Pokemon all standing by his side.

"So…what now?" asked Charlotte, her trademark smirk returning. Chris smiled, looking at his Pokemon.

"What do you say we pay Brock a visit?"

Umbreon and Beedrill smiled.

"Who's Brock?" asked Charlotte.

"The bane of my existence when I was a kid," he began as the two ventured north of Pallet Town. "This guy's Onix was impossible to beat."

Charlotte smiled as she stared at Chris, who rambled on about his hatred for Brock.

"I bet he was easy," she said mocking him.

"Says the woman with a Blastoise," he responded.

"You have a Greninja…"

"Not back then I did…"

"This should be a piece of cake then."

"You bet your ass it'll be!" he responded confidently. The two continued their back and forth, venturing down Route 1, a new journey beginning. In the distance, the X-shaped tree lay on the hill in exact spot where Chris had lay studying nearby Nidoran.


	29. Author's Note

Hey who ever is reading this,

Just wanna say thanks for reading this story. I'd always been interested in storytelling, movies, etc. and this is really my first crack at doing something like this. I only planned on sharing this story with one other person, but for 700+ people to have read this is absolutely mind blowing. Whether you liked it or hated it, thanks for giving it the time.

Thanks,

MistValley555


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